On siblings

Recent events have had me thinking a lot about my family, and about what it means to be a family. (Warning... I am about to bare my soul here....) I just need to say, for the record, that I love my brothers. Both of them. Fiercely.

We may fight and disagree from time to time, and we may all have different personalities that make it difficult to connect sometimes, and it's true that I get along better (and keep in better touch with) one than with the other. But the truth is that even when I get spitting mad at my "big brother," it's almost always about wanting him to accept me just as I am, and approve of the person I've become. And I think he does, deep down. It's also true that my "little brother" consistently rolls his eyes when I try to express stuff like this, but I also believe that he feels the same way, deep down.

My brothers are both hardworking, intelligent, decent, caring (in their own way ;-) ), stable guys who both have a great sense of humour. Maybe it's the gene pool (LOL), and I like to think I've "sistered" them well (I read an article in Chatelaine about that once and loved that term to describe how boys without sisters are different than boys with sisters). Most certainly our parents had much to do with how we turned out. But we siblings have also each shaped the other in many ways. And both brothers are incredible gifts in my life in very different ways.

As the one statement in that last video I posted pointed out, our siblings are the people most likely to be a part of our lives from start to finish... And my brothers have always been there when I needed them. As I will always be there for them. Because that's what family is. And I like to think I come from a family that is exceptional at being a family.

Don't worry Mom, you and Dad will get your own separate posts. Just not tonight. It's past my bedtime, you know. ;-)