My youngest brother is 17 today! I have no memory of Ben's birth and only the vaguest recollections of Graham's, but I was 8 when Wheeler was born and remember it well. Wheeler is the only one of us who was born in the spring or summer — we were all in the pool at our cousins' house when our oldest cousin, Seth, bounded out onto the porch, shouting, "It's a boy!" When we heard that our parents were naming the baby "Wheeler," we wrinkled our noses at each other. I don't remember being disappointed at having another brother, just confused by the name. Our uncle helped us frost a birthday cake for the baby, which we creatively decorated with a giant, spoked wheel made of chocolate chips.
Wheeler has always been the free spirit of the family, embracing a sartorial aesthetic that few others could pull off.
He is also a food pioneer, embracing culinary innovations such as Cheese Soda and Toe Jam on Wheat Thins.
He also takes it upon himself to enliven our family photos with his expressiveness:
So, happy birthday, Wheeler. Keep on being interesting.
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