My brother; My friend. This post is for you.
I can only write this from my own perspective, and I can only hope the rest of you have been as fortunate in the sibling stakes as I have been! I only have one sibling, an older brother. He is 6 years my senior, so I can’t say that he would share my perspective on ALL of these things, but I'd say in general he'd agree!
My parents very bravely emigrated here to Australia when my brother was 6 and my mother was pregnant with me. At the time, I guess my brother was feeling quite isolated when I was born, having been moved to the other side of the world from his pals. The way he tells it, they used to play space invaders or something at lunchtime and he genuinely believed they were saving the world. He really worried about how he would protect it without his crew!
I was probably a big disappointment to him. First off, I was a sister, and I’d guess he’d hoped for a brother. He has 2 boys now… be careful what you wish for! Haha He never would have survived the beatings boys give each other! Lol. Then, when I was old enough to play, I was interested in Barbie dolls, and not even remotely interested in silly games about space! Still, he sat with me anyway, playing dolls. He tolerated me messing around with his computer games, and even let me play with his new friends. In all his birthday party pictures, there I am, squeezing in.
I guess that is a pretty accurate metaphor for his life, which was probably quite nice before I came along. He was such a quiet peaceful natured child, that didn’t ask for much. Let’s just say I was the opposite. It was all about me! Looking back I can see how much time and energy I took from him and from my parents! Suddenly I understand why he was my mother’s favourite… he was less painful. Lol
My mother returned to work full-time when I started school. Although I have milked this for all it was worth, it probably did bring me and my brother happily closer. He had to step in a fair bit to help take care of me. While I am sure there were times when he resented this, and would rather have been chasing girls, I remember those times after school with fondness. We would pull out the couch cushions and make a boxing ring, or do flips from the exercise trampoline Santa brought me that I never would have used at all otherwise. We would devour packets of Anzac cookies and milk, and eat endless bits of hot toast that he diligently sat making piece after piece.
When I cried because I lost my keys in the school playground and I knew I’d be in big trouble, he took me back to school and spent hours digging through the sand with me looking for them. When we went sightseeing at cliffs, he held the back of my t-shirt and pulled me from the edge. When we went on the banana speed boat ride, he fell off when I did to make sure I didn’t drown. Even though I was 14. And I was wearing a life jacket. And I could swim. Lol He still does the same things now, only in different ways I guess. When I get myself in trouble he is always there in any capacity he can be, often breaking the rules or going against the grain to show his support.
As we got older, and I became less self-involved, (I said LESS, Ok! Lol) I hope I also became someone he could talk to, confide in and turn to for support. It’s not like we see each other often, we don’t. We don’t even really communicate that much, but knowing that you have someone in your corner til the ends of the earth is something else. Knowing we have each other, and may in time have only each other, makes us closer than people with larger extended families I guess.
My brother isn’t my best friend, but he was my first friend, is always my friend, is one of my closest friends, and essentially really the only one I will ever need and never lose. Thank you for being my big brother AaaOooo, and thank you for being my friend. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. I’ve never had to and I never want to. There is a part of me who will always be your baby sister who needs you to help search for her keys on the playground. I hope you know I’ll be there to help you find your keys, or your way, anytime you need it, too.
Love you bro!
❤ Love
Your Best Friend ForNever
xx
