Dearly Beloved: We are gathered here today to talk about this thing called life……That of my brother Carlos Peter Flores. God, thank you for my brother, my muse, my playmate, and my guardian angel. Carlos acquired his attitude from Chicago, and his charm and home from South Carolina. Los had an adventurous spirit from as far back as I can remember. He challenged me to play harder when we lived in Augusta Georgia. We biked, swam, fished, explored, and made friends together. At Irmo, we loved to roller skate, and Los eventually became an enviable skate boarder. He danced on roller skates, and did break dancing in our cul-de-sac. He and my brother Tony had Ninja suits and chinese stars, and got in trouble ninja-ing around the neighborhood in the dark. At 15, he took a month-long trip to Jamaica, as I left for Myrtle Beach to become a life guard for the summer. The next time I saw him, He was a long-haired fellow with sparkle in his eyes from new experiences he’d encountered while traveling. After I attended college, Los returned to meet his big brother at the beach, to regroup and become beach lovers together. The skateboarding lead to the surf board. It only took 3 years, and then he was off to Hawaii to find the perfect wave. We went to visit him in Maui for my 28th birthday. He was a great tour guide, and took me to celebrate the occasion at the top of Haleakula, a volcano, to the multi-colored beaches and deep blue Pacific where sharks abound. Yes, that was my Carlos…. excited to show it all to me. When he returned to me in Myrtle Beach, he eagerly shared his stories of life through his own eyes. Los was a very intelligent young man, you could talk to him about anything and he somehow lovingly knew how to make sense of, and help you feel better about it. Little brother, my heart goes with you. Watch over us and your baby Bruno. You have a heart of gold…left me searching for that heart of gold….and I’m getting’ old…. This was never supposed to be just me… BUT YOU AND ME. My baby brother… the skater, the surfer, Harley Biker, musician, Lake Murray “Lake-al”, hunter, and even a football player…but most of all the bright light in the room. Mom, be proud of the great life you gave our family. Carlos lived it to his standards and charisma like no other. Carlitos, thank you for coming back to me in Myrtle Beach one last time, after traveling to find what you really wanted…to live near your big brother again.