I Told You So: My Brother's Keeper?

"I Told You So" is a memoir that delves into my emotional journey with my brother who grappled with mental health issues throughout his life. I remember my brother as a vibrant soul who filled our home with laughter. From the earliest days of childhood, my brother and I shared a special bond. He was the one who taught me to live without fear and the one who defended me against playground bullies. As I narrate the stories of our shared past, each tale is tinged with both joy and sorrow. The adventures we embarked on together, the late night conversations and laughter that stretched into the morning and the quiet moments we shared where no words were needed are all fragments of that bond. But throughout these moments his struggle with mental health became a defining chapter in our lives, I became a witness to his battles, a helpless ally in a war he fought within. In his absence, I relive and recount how he struggled and I question myself on why I did not do more. Yet, amid the pain, I find strength in preserving the memories I have of him. I share his stories not only to keep his memory alive but to raise awareness about mental health and the effects it has on not only the person struggling with it but how it also affects the family who are left feeling uselessness and guilt for not knowing how to help, had I known maybe he would still be here today.