There was a holiday card containing a poem/story my parents received from one of Nina’s schools when she was young.  I do not recall the title of the it, but I always remembered it as Getting Ready for Italy or Traveling to Italy.

The story discussed a couple planning a trip to Italy – how before the couple went to Italy, they did nothing but research Italy and all the things they were going to see and do.  How they were going to see The Coliseum, Michaelangelo’s David, go to Venice and ride in gondolas, and they even learned some phrases.  All of their friends had gone to Italy and spoke of the wonderful time they had in Italy.

The suitcases are packed and the day finally arrives – when you board the plane for Italy.  As the plane starts its descent, the flight attendant announces, “Welcome to Holland.”  Holland??  No that is not right, we are supposed to be in Italy, we have prepared for and dreamed of Italy.  They realize their flight plans have changed, they have landed, and must now stay in Holland.  What they quickly learn is Holland may be a different place, but it is just as beautiful, if not more so, than Italy.  The couple gets guidebooks for Holland and quickly learns that Holland is full of beautiful things – windmills, Tulips, Rembrandts, etc.  Holland is a different place, maybe just not as fast-paced or glitzy as Italy.  Instead of mourning the fact that they never got to Italy, the couple quickly realize all the very special and very lovely things about Holland. For those that know the poem/story, I may have taken a few liberties in telling it but I have tried to convey the sentiment of the story.

I was 7 years old when Nina was born; she is the youngest of three siblings.  When Nina was born, I do not remember if I even knew that she was not like me or my other sister; I just knew she was my sister and I loved her.  My earliest two memories are one, when Nina had to go into the hospital for a catheter to look at her heart and two, by the time I was 10 and my other sister, Freya was 7.5, we began to babysit Nina when our parents went out.  I remember being filled with fear when she went to the hospital for the catheter and then happiness when we heard that Nina was going to be ok. By the time I was 10, I knew that my one job in life was to always protect Nina.

There were times I did a better job than other times in being there for Nina.  Let’s be honest, as a teenage boy if things did not fit that sense of what is “typical”, I did not want anything to do with it and believe me, that included everything (time with family, vacations, being with either sister or my parents, etc.).  I could be embarrassed by the slightest thing that Nina did or how she acted.  I guess you can say that I wanted to be in Italy.  I eventually remembered my one job – protect Nina.  And just like Holland, Nina is incredible and there are so many wonderful things about her.  Nina is probably one of the most caring, loving people I know, especially when it comes to cats and dogs.

And with the incredible goodness about Nina, there is also some bad qualities, just like with each of us.  I tell Nina that my one job is to protect her and she does not always make it easy.  Nina has wants and desires just like all every person.  Sometimes she makes good choices and sometimes not so good choices.  It is the not so good choices that lead me to tell her that she is not making my job easy.  But maybe she is not supposed to make my job easy.  No matter what, I will always be there to protect her, even if that means protecting her from herself.

I, like the rest of my family, am truly grateful for JFGH/Makom and for every Makom staff member.  Nina is living the life she wants to live.  Maybe not to the degree she wants to live it, but none the less, a self-determined life.  Without Makom, I would hate to think where Nina would be or what type of life she would have.  I cannot begin to thank each staff member that supports Nina or express how wonderful I think each one is. An abundance of love is shown to everyone supported by Makom.

As a final thought, I have always been known as “Nina’s brother”, not “Oh, Nina is your sister.”   For whatever reason, this used to bother me, but now I wear it as a badge of honor.  I love the fact that Nina is known by so many wonderful people, and I love being known as “Nina’s brother.”