Yes I love my brothers dearly and am thankful for the relationships I have with them.
My older brother, Pat has always looked after me and I up to him.
By now I was a pro at being a big sister and in caring for babies! And here was a new one to love and cuddle. Mom and Dad put his baby bed in my room but this didn’t last very long as I would get him out of the crib to play with him, disrupting naps and quite time for everyone. Perry has always had a fondness for animals and as a small child we had a poodle that he just loved. That poodle would sleep in my bedroom at night but during the day it was Perry that he would hang out with. We shared many hours rocking and as he got older playing dress up (he probably didn’t enjoy this as much as I did).
We are 2 years apart and I think we have a special bond being the older set of kids in a family of 4 siblings. As a small child I remember us sharing treats. I would often gulp mine down so fast and he would feel sorry for me and share his with me. I would say, "Pat I’ll share that with you" and he would graciously share even though we had the same amount to begin with. We got to share special times with grandparents and aunts/uncles that were young and full of life because early on we were the only grandchildren on one side of the family and the among the youngest on the other side. He looked after me through our school years; I was often a tag along and sometimes unwanted and often annoying but he always looked out for me. He actually introduced me to the boy that would one day be my husband! Together we paved the way for our younger set of brothers. Today I look up to him and value his judgement and friendship even though right now we are thousands of miles away from each other.
Six years after I was born along came Phil.
I was in kindergarten when he was born. I was very much into baby dolls and to have real live baby of my very own (well not really my own but I thought he was) was unbelievable. But I was a little too young to really get to hold and care for him without assistance from an adult. He was so sweet and I loved him dearly. He was into everything and quickly gained the nick-name Phil the Pill (lovingly of course). As he grew older he started to take things apart. He loved old cameras, gadgets and anything mechanical. He would take these apart and put them back together often “fixing” what might have been wrong. It was like working a puzzle to him. And to this day he continues to like to take things apart and put them back together making them better.
Then along came Perry, I was 8 when he was born.
By now I was a pro at being a big sister and in caring for babies! And here was a new one to love and cuddle. Mom and Dad put his baby bed in my room but this didn’t last very long as I would get him out of the crib to play with him, disrupting naps and quite time for everyone. Perry has always had a fondness for animals and as a small child we had a poodle that he just loved. That poodle would sleep in my bedroom at night but during the day it was Perry that he would hang out with. We shared many hours rocking and as he got older playing dress up (he probably didn’t enjoy this as much as I did).
By the time Pat was starting to work, I was “employed" at home. Well sort of I was helping out by babysitting my younger brothers 1/2 days during the sumer. I loved being their big sister and tried to fill in when Mother was away or busy. It seems hard to believe that Phil was 12 and Perry was only 10 when I moved away to college and I haven’t really live under the same roof since but even so there is a bond between me and the younger two brothers as I cared for them at such a young age. I wont go as far to say that I was a 2nd mother to them but I surely was a care giver and I loved it!
All 3 of my brother have been good Uncles to my children.
They were there for family birthdays and holidays setting the bar high as uncle role models. They were active parts of my young children's lives, they would play games with them and spend special time with them . For instance, Pat had them over for sleepovers, Phil tweaked their sound systems, Perry even took care of them in our home while Alan and I worked some night shifts. Now as adult children they look up to their Uncles and know they can call on them for help if need be and have.
They were there for family birthdays and holidays setting the bar high as uncle role models. They were active parts of my young children's lives, they would play games with them and spend special time with them . For instance, Pat had them over for sleepovers, Phil tweaked their sound systems, Perry even took care of them in our home while Alan and I worked some night shifts. Now as adult children they look up to their Uncles and know they can call on them for help if need be and have.
Our lives have lead us all down different paths. We all have very different careers that keep us busy and going in different directions. But we manage to remain close and love doing some of the same things...
I loved having my brothers over for family time and have missed them terribly while being in Germany. But we manage to stay in touch emailing, chatting and skypeing.
This is one of the few pictures I have with me here in Germany of all 4 of us together! WE are with our Aunt Wanda Sue. Yes, I love having brothers and missed them so much but am thankful for the relationships we have forged over the years and grateful that as adults we are all not just siblings, we are FRIENDS!!
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