Sunday, March 20, 2011

Brothers and Sisters


I imagine many brothers and sisters are very similar to each other, and this is what binds them together. My brother and I couldn't be more unalike than if our our parents went about choosing our characters from a list provided by God. "Outgoing and Boisterous" for him, "Serious and Quiet" for her. Noticing both children would be so unalike from each other, they looked at each other and said, "Well brothers and sisters love each other because they just do."


I spent most of my early youth trying to avoid my cute little brown eyed brother. It was just so much easier than trying to fathom why on earth my parents ever brought him into our house. He could always be counted on to do the unexpected such as trapping his head between stair railings, getting his mouth stuck around door knobs, and having to be rescued from the neighbors roof on a weekly basis because he overheard the father say he wished he had a rooster instead of an alarm clock to wake him in the morning. My brother was the rooster, and he was only two!


I pleaded with my mother to punish this naughty little brother of mine to no avail. "He can't be punished!" she would say, "He's much too clever." Sent to his room he would climb out the window and "play" on the roof. He would rearrange his bedroom furniture into make believe worlds. I think it was just easier on my mother's back to kiss him on his cheek and tell him to behave.


And then came came the darkest days of my sisterhood. The arrival of "the best friend". A perfect Partner in Crime. All admonitions to not go into the woods alone, or cross the street alone, or paddle across the Potomac River alone, could be ignored because there were now two.


Closed bedroom door tears falling on deaf ears, how would I ever survive these naughty, messy, smelly boys? How to even begin answering the mother question I knew would come, "Where are the boys?"


Overheard telephone commiserating between sips of coffee, waiting for my mother to realize a bus ticket to military school was our only salvation. "Yes, we now have a hole in the backyard the size of a swimming pool." ..... "Well,  I said he could dig to China."


Outgoing and Boisterous, Serious and Quiet. As different as can be. I would worry myself to sleep at night in prayer to God that I be allowed in Heaven even if I didn't love my brother.


And then we became adults, and the very characteristics chosen on God's list so long ago now fill every corner of our heart with images of our youth and love for our parents. And we love each other the way brothers and sisters always do.


Please do not pin on Pinterest

13 comments:

Old Centennial Farmhouse said...

Oh, what a darling family of chicks...and such a touching story, told in such a sweet way, thanks for sharing your big sister's heart with us!
xoxo
Joni

Suz said...

E,
As the sister of three and a half brothers (one half brother, no sisters) that tears my heart in two. My brothers were so wild. I know I have spoken on them before. There were too many of them to afford sending them to military school but that is certainly where "their kind" went in those days! You bring back such irritating...and funny memories!
And the chick. How I love her!
Big hugs,
Suz

Jane said...

Two brothers - me in the middle! Always wanted a sister, but wouldn't give up my brothers for anything or anyone - now, that it!

Love the Easter puffballs - so cute!
Jane-Jacksonville

Debby said...

I have only one brother. We are day and night. At the recent funeral someone said to me, "Who is that." I laughed and said, 'My brother." We are nothing alike.
Love your Easter buddies. Socute. Love your picture as well.

Nan said...

Sweet story of your bother. We've heard about his antics in the past. I spy that little chick there wearing the bunny ears, how cute.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

How cute! I know I didn't feel close to my sister until I was an adult! Now she's my best friend! Enjoy your break! Sending you HUGS, sweet E!!!♥

ImagiMeri said...

Dearest Friend,

You could do no less than to love your brother in the end, because we all have to grow up sometime, and we all have to realize where our true connections are. I'll bet he's pretty happy with his sister, too!

Love ya'
Meri

vivian said...

AWw. Now I miss myu brother and wish his life could be different. so many struggles for one who suffers from alcoholism and from the trauma of a mother leaving when we were children. But now he lives with her. but he struggles and I miss him! Love your stories. and what an absolutely precious and adorable picture.
hugs
vivian

Handmade Crafts Done While RVing Blog said...

LOL you so make me laugh... I have blackmail pictures of my brothers - do you. Sometimes I will use them in kidding form of course to get what I want from them - the blessing of being the oldest I say lol

Rosemary said...

What a cute bunch of chicks!! You are so talented :)and so sweet to share with everyone!
Loved the brotherly love story! haha! My little brother was a pain and still is sometimes and hes grown!! LOL!

Unknown said...

Have a nice long break kiddo.....:):) I so enjoyed this story..... I just have the one sibling, the big brother who as a little girl always seemed so perfect!....who in adulthood did just the opposite of yours, changed so completely, I don't recognize him anymore, we have parted ways. But you know what? It is OK, I hvae other people who really know who I am. :):) Take care Elizabeth! Love ya! Sandy

nanapeggy said...

I will miss your wonderful stories. Thank you for sharing. Hope you come back someday.

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