Erik never met a hamburger he didn't like.

Erik is a foodie. Mealtime -- is it! Eating -- serious business. Especially if it involves a hamburger, soda and fries.

So many times I've heard Erik emit little noises of delight while eating. This was very nice particularly if I happened to be the chef. Sometimes he'd stop eating just long enough to look up and say quietly, "Is good". Then, back to eating.

We never knew where he put all the food. He rarely left any on his plate. The photo above was at Fat Daddy's in Coppell. (their burgers are good!)

The picture below isn't a hamburger, it's at Subway, another of his favorite places...BUT look at that face. He's enjoying life.

This one below is at Chili's in Brownwood TX, near his group home. His eyes are saying: Liz just let me eat. I know that's true because when Mike and I were engaged we took Erik out one day for lunch. Mike really wanted to chat with Erik, get to know him better. Erik was trying to eat his wonderful lunch (chicken fried steak) and he got a little frustrated with Mike and finally said these now famous words: "Mike... eat now, talk later."

This one below is my favorite, taken on his birthday in 2006, at Fuddruckers in Irving, TX.  THIS is happiness.

These pictures are so fun to look back on but they remind me of the last time we took Erik out for a burger, 2 months ago; it didn't go so well. He didn't have his usual eating gusto and it seemed like he didn't feel well but he couldn't tell us what was the problem. As I said before, he's having such a hard time getting sentences out now. So we were just left with trying to guess what he needed. We worked it out, but as when all of us age, things change. Erik's needs are changing and we'll adjust to help him as best we can.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him...Psalm 62:5

know my bro

Erik has been an easy person to know. He's never been complicated. Having him in our family has given me an appreciation for simplicity. His conversations were rarely deep or complex, and I'm prone to that style of conversing most of the time as well. I wish I could remember more about him when we were little but I mostly just recollect that he was always there. I was born just over a year after him. I don't remember fighting or arguing much with him which is good. My younger sister and I - ha, that was another matter. But Erik's presence when we were growing up was just a natural part of life.

Now, much later, with all family members dispersed it's harder to maintain continuity. For the past 4 years Erik has lived 3 hours away from me. Other family members live farther. So most of our communication with him is over the phone or the few times of the year we see him. Just today he called and said, very haltingly, "I want see you; go over there". Hearing him say that was sweet.

But back to knowing Erik. Here are things that made him happiest:

eating food! more on that later

diet sodas -- probably too much

The Dallas Cowboys - "I'm a true fan"

His birthday - he starts talking about it months in advance

laughing and teasing

singing -- Elvis, Country music and in the choir, "The Promise Singers"

dancing

bowling

when he was young, riding his bike around the neighborhood being friendly

meeting people - never met a stranger

Chuck Norris, Mr T

his friends

I'm sure there are many I'm forgetting. Erik's age limits him so much now, it's hard for him to even get a complete sentence out. But I can tell you what he likes and that makes me happy.

Can this connect us to each other?

I do not consider myself a good writer at all, but many things prompted me to start this blog. The main thing is, of course, Erik's life. He's the first-born of 4 (I came after him). His life is an amazing story of what a dis-abled person can achieve. In his case, he achieved far more than anyone could predict. He's been very blessed, had good health, some education, was a Boy Scout, participated in Special Olympics, and the most impressive things of all, held a job at a hospital for over 2 decades. But now he's growing older. About 4 years ago we started seeing signs of confusion. It was time for him to retire from his job. Last April he turned 50. Quite rare for someone like him to reach that milestone. And now he's showing some advanced stages of old age, it breaks my heart. And it make me wonder what's in the near future for him and for us. It seems like there is almost no support for families of adults with Downs syndrome or a way to connect us to each other. Maybe this will be a way.