None but those with siblings have experienced the overwhelming love a person can feel for their brothers and sisters.
A sibling is a sturdy ship in the hurricane, a lighthouse amidst the squalls, a beacon of light shining in the darkest of nights. This year, on 24 May, we celebrate Brother’s Day.
It is the one and only time of the year when we show our brothers, our brethren, how much we love them.
Brothers are…
… our best friends…
… our soulmates…
… our guides through life…
… and our worst possible nightmares.
Oh, how the brothered are envied by the brotherless; the naïve, the foolish, the wide-eyed spectres roaming the world, ever regurgitating the same line “How I wish I had a brother.”
They know nothing.
They’ve seen nothing.
Until the age of 18, sometimes 20, even 25, the brother is your mortal enemy. He is loud, he is inconsiderate, he is disrespectful and his sole desire is to make your life as miserable as possible. They break your things, they take your things. And there is no stopping them. Parents and society are both completely powerless. But, if your relationship with your brother survives this quarter-of-a-century horrendous phase, they bloom…
They bloom into magnificent creatures.
You are incredibly lucky if your relationship with your brother is one of trust, love and understanding.
Brother’s Day is an amazing occasion, especially as far as the shock-and-surprise factor goes. Most brothers probably don’t even know there is such a thing as Brother’s Day, so it is highly unlikely that he will be expecting a call and a present from you. Surprise them and make them feel special. They are still your best friends in the world despite all the torment they’ve put you through, despite your lack of deep communication on a day-to-day basis and the once-a-month phone calls. And regardless of what people say, and whatever your opinion on the whole ‘blood is not water’ thing may be, when your hour of need comes up, they will be the one to step up and help you. The Last Guardians.
And, luckily, you don’t have to go far to find them a perfect present. <grin> We’ve got flowers, cards, chocolates, what have you. Face it; you’re not going to be buying them a wrench, a set of socket spanners or a spare tire for their old Lada Niva for Brother’s Day.
To those who scoff at occasions like this… Brother’s Day, just like all the other ‘Days’, is not a consumer industry ploy to get you to buy and shop and spend money on unnecessary things.
Okay, well, it might be, but that’s not what this is about – think of it like washing your hands after a wee – it’s a great opportunity. A great opportunity to wash your hands at a certain point in your day, and a great opportunity to show your brother you care at a certain point in your year.
It’s not the dozens, hundreds, thousands of pounds that count. It’s the fact that you thought of your brother, that you actually went to the trouble to think of a present, pick out, and ultimately buy it for him. And he’ll appreciate it oh-so-immensely, whether he shows it or not.
Don’t be the modern day Cain (well, not in the vicious-murderer sense anyway). Love your brother.
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