They Call Him the Fireman...

A little over a year ago, my brother Todd decided to go through the application process to become a firefighter for the city of Dallas...and I was proud. After going through several rounds of the intense selection process, he was chosen from a group of over a thousand as one of 50 who got to attend the fire academy...and again, I was proud. He attended the fire academy and worked so hard, physically and mentally, to do his best...once again, I was so proud.

Then, a couple of months before our trip to Europe, Todd was telling us about his upcoming graduation from the Dallas Fire Academy, an event the firefighters call "Burn Night." He was so excited because this is a special event for the new firefighters, an opportunity for them to show their friends and family all the cool stuff they have worked so hard to learn over the past months. I asked him the date of Burn Night, and my heart sank when he grabbed the calendar and pointed to a Saturday when we would be halfway around the world in Greece.

So, while we were in Santorini, Todd graduated from the Dallas Fire Academy. We missed his Burn Night. I absolutely hate that I was not there, and I think it's one of those things that I'm always going to regret. Here are a few pictures from that night:

My dad (ex-firefighter for the city of Buffalo), and Todd

One of those specks rappelling down the wall is Todd.

Look, the back of his jacket says 'Morlock.' Isn't it cute?

Friends that came to support Todd at Burn Night.

These days, Todd is a rookie at a fire station in south Dallas. He even helped fight a five-alarm apartment fire a couple of weeks ago. He also made the mistake of showing me (and my mom, which was an even bigger mistake!) this website, which lists all the active fire-rescue incidents in Dallas and which stations are responding. That means I can keep track of where he is when he's at work...is he currently at the station or out responding to a fire? If so, how big a fire and where? It's a neurotic older sister's dream come true!

When we were younger, Todd and I didn't get along so well. And although there is still no one else in the world who can get under my skin like he can, he is now one of my best friends. I can't think of anyone better suited to the job of fighting fires and saving lives...and as his older sister, I could not be more proud.