Today’s learning is dedicated to my brother Peter.

A very old picture of me with my brother

Peter is 10 years older than I am so we’ve always had a relationship that’s a bit different than how it would have been if we were closer in age. When I was little I absolutely adored him, even when he found me annoying. I still adore him now that we’re older—he’s still very good at, like, all the big brother stuff and he’s really fun. There are three memories that stick out right now:

  1. I was always a very cautious and careful (and scared) kid. Sometimes when Peter would push me in my stroller, he’d run as fast as he could and then let go of the stroller so it could coast down the sidewalk on its own. It terrified me (and I probably cried sometimes). But this is my first memory that something scary could be fun at the same time. And worth doing!
  2. When I was a bit older and learning how to read, I’d only ever read books for little kids, but Peter was a teenager and was reading The Hobbit. One time when he was babysitting me, Peter tried to get me to read the first page. I was like, “No! I can only read books with pictures!” (And I probably cried.) But he kept trying to convince me that that I knew how to read words, so I’d know how to read this book for grownups. I really couldn’t believe it when I could do it.
  3. When I was much older, I was trying to decide whether to study math or visual art in university. I said to Peter, “I guess I should study math because it’d probably be easier to get a job after.” And Peter said, “No that’s backwards. You should study what you like and then have a career in a field you’re actually interested in.” Not everyone really has the luxury of choice, but I did and eventually, I chose math. I got my bachelor’s, master’s, and my PhD degrees in math, and now here I am, your math professor!

So Peter’s the best and I’ve been so lucky to have him support me on my journey. He still calls me kiddo!