Today, my brother would have been 43. He was nine days shy. That change in tense hurts. And, even if it isn’t a milestone for many people, that number would always hurt. Along with a slew of other digits, 43 would always be a “would’ve been.” It’s the next step not taken in a life painfully gone too soon. More than a week removed, I still don’t know how to feel and the numbers keep flying over my head. [Continued in comments]