Good Brothers

I have been richly blessed with really good brothers.  You can look at the previous posts if you want to know more about them, but trust me they are really, Really good people.  I’ve also raised good brothers.  My sons are kind to each other and to their sister – genuinely supportive and fond of each other.  That is so satisfying to me because they are each and all so very, very different.  They are loosely aligned on politics, not aligned on religion, very aligned on education but in vastly different fields, and most importantly, they do truly love each other.  That is pure joy for a mom.

Husband is a good brother – the best if you listen to his mom.  He is the “star” child.  Does everything right, including the fact that he calls her every.  single. day.  If there’s a squabble among his adult siblings, he is the voice of reason.  If his mentally disabled sister needs someone to laugh at her jokes, he’s the guy.  He doesn’t usually agree with his sibs, but he refuses to fight with them.  Life – and love – is just too important for that crap.  He doesn’t go along with all their stuff.  He just loves them in spite of it.  Sometimes that requires forgiveness in copious amounts.  He’s very good at forgiveness.  It’s one of the things that makes him a good brother (and a good spouse).

Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by growing up with such great brothers – they were definitely the role models for raising my sons.  Husband didn’t have any uncles as role models.  Both of his parents were an “only” child.  They had multi-generational family reunions every time his grandparents came to dinner.  A multi-family generational family reunion in my family requires a city park and assigned- color T-shirts.  Our kids have 25 first-cousins.  There were a whole lot of “brothers” in their lives. (Sisters too, but that’s another post). My brothers love my kids as if they were theirs.  They play with them.  Teach them.  Eat with them.  And they listen to them – genuinely listen.  They are fountains of advice – if asked.  And mind their own business if they’re not asked.  My brothers and I don’t see eye to eye on everything either – but we absolutely love each other.  We would go to the mat for each other. And, of course, with each other because we are Italian and Scots-Irish so we fight.  All our lives.  We’re kind of over that now, but we’re still competitive.  And it’s just all so super fun!  Love is definitely an action word with my family – and “the boys” provide a lot of the action.

What would the world be like if everyone had really good brothers.  Or uncles.  Or dads.  Or cousins.  How amazing would it be for everyone to be loved and valued and stretched and forgiven?  The value of a really good brother is probably underrated.  I’m voting for a Brother’s Day.  Not just their individual birthdays, but a whole celebration for these guys.  It would probably involve grills and gentle noogies.  I’ll bring the cookies.