My name is Tommi Miller and I am Greg’s older sister. He is my brother, but also my superhero sidekick. (Or maybe he would say that I am HIS sidekick!)
Sure we had our sibling squabbles as kids, but more often than not we were blasting off into other worlds of imagination where anything is possible.
-Battling Star Wars villains aboard our backyard picnic table Millenium Falcon
-Hiking our grandparents’ woods searching for archaeological treasures with Indiana Jones,
-Fighting crime as Superman and Supergirl or Batman and Robin while zooming around the living room listening to movie soundtracks... music, there is always music!
And we often had the costumes, and in Greg’s case a very large selection of capes and Underoos, to go with our adventures!
As I went off to college, our days as a sibling dynamic duo became fewer. However we paired up during the holidays to do AMAZING feats, like find cheap yet unique stocking stuffers for Mom and Dad for Christmas -I distinctly remember getting a creepy, boxing kangaroo one year for Dad and Mom probably still has a lifetime supply of lemon drops in her kitchen cabinet.
As we grew up, we paired off with new sidekicks of our own - the Batman to my Batgirl - Derek, and Greg found his own personal Wonder Woman in Jenny. We four even somehow produced amazing mini heroes in Zachary- my Super Z, my Amazing Ashton, and my niece Wonder Wynter - each with Greg’s abilities to make us laugh and dream big (with closets filled with costumes to prove it!). I see Greg in Zachary in his competitiveness and willfulness to debate world history or important questions like who would win in a fight- Superman versus Batman (Batman- always Batman!) I see Greg in Ashton’s ability to strike a silly or superhero pose in Every Single Picture that is taken of him. And I see Greg in Wyn as she runs like the wind and lights up the room with her smile and laughter.
Even with our new super families and the great distance between us when Greg and family moved to Sweden, Greg and I used our super-sibling powers once again to pair up to run a marathon in 2015. Well, in reality he finished an hour ahead of me- but we were together the entire time in spirit and the hugs and celebration afterwards is something I will always cherish. A sibling power-Pose for the ages!
On Monday, May 13, 2019 we lost Greg and I lost my superhero sidekick. However as we have learned from all great storytellers, heroes might lose and be separated but the story must go on. We heroes must go on. And as from those same stories, we also know heroes lost are never truly gone - we can write them back in at any time, we only have to find them. Like Zach, Ash, and Wyn- Greg’s power, strength, imagination and joy lives in all of us. He is right here (hand over heart). So I ask you today that when you miss him, reach into your heart and grab that inner superhero. Put on your Wonder Woman tiara. Put on your shiny Superman cape. Pull up your underoos, do a power pose, and let your super light shine forth. And in that light and in your heart, you will have Super Greg by your side!
And to Wonder Wynter- always remember that you have your Dad’s love and strength inside you. I will always be there to help you find it. We will write a new superhero story together. - Love, Aunt Tommi
The most wonderful eulogy I have ever heard!
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