Day 11-My Brother

I know that I’ve already counted my family as a blessing, and also my mom, but my brother is another person who I owe a lot to.
Of all the people in my life, it has been my brother who has always been there for me. Regardless of what I’ve done, or what I haven’t done, my brother has always been the man who catches me and watches.
I think one of the best examples of what my brother does is what happened at the most difficult moment in our lives. That was the very moment that I looked at my mom and realized that she was going to die. At that moment I had to come to grips with losing my mother and all what that meant. In the mean time my dad was coming to grips with losing his soul mate.
My very first thought the moment I looked at my mom struggling to breathe was, “Oh my GOD. My mom is going to die right in front of me.” I couldn’t be there for that moment and had to leave the ICU. I walked out and tried to punch the wall with my fist. My brother watched me and immediately caught my fist, keeping me from breaking my hand.
After that we meet as a family, each of us going through our own battles. I couldn’t be in the room to watch my mom die, and my dad couldn’t be away from his wife until the doctors told him to leave. To this day I have no idea where my brother wanted to be, but I know he stayed with me.
Then there was the time that I was fired from a job, and went through an emotional crisis. Thru it all, he supported me, and waited patiently for me to get back on my feet (I took my time). We had moved in together, sharing the rent, but while I was unemployed with no real prospects he covered my rent.
A few years later I had just finished my credential program. I went to bank and saw I had $7.12 in my account, and would receive a small paycheck in two weeks. My main source of money was substitute teaching, and I wouldn’t receive anything substantial until Halloween (it was just after Labor Day). I looked at him and said “You’re paying for everything.” He did it without complaint, and didn’t ask for anything in return.
Now it may sound like he was a private welfare system for me and the only thing I have to be thankful is my brother financially supporting me in times of need, but that isn’t the case. We have been each other’s best friends. From the time that we were kids, and he and I would pretend to be various pro athletes playing Wiffle ball in the backyard, to now when we play golf together and he thrills in one time out of 10 that he beats me (Ok, I enjoy his joy as well).
And then there is the fact that neither one of us has meet someone to love. We aren’t gay, but for some reason we haven’t been able to meet that one significant person. If it weren’t for my brother, I would be incredibly lonely, but I’ve always had him. On Saturday’s I know that we can plan our day, and know that we will be able to ride a bike, play golf, or go to a game. There is something to be said about someone who is always there for you.