BROTHERLY LOVE

I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.
-- Maya Angelou

I love this quote, especially because my brothers and I didn’t grow up together. Due to an alcoholic father, we were scattered about by Social Services, in different homes around our community. We are all four years apart, so our age discrepancies also played a big part in our not feeling close to one another. We were merely “siblings” growing up, but as we age…as we each have passed the 50 year old mark, I find that we are reaching out to each other, in a way we never did before.

I was lucky enough to get to spend time with all four of my brothers this past weekend. We gathered for a cookout, at one of the twins homes, in Myrtle Beach. They seem to know so much more about each other’s lives than I do. It was fun to sit and listen to them reminisce and learn more about the way in which they have grown and changed through the years.

After just losing my job…the closeness of this family reunion warmed my heart and brought me pure joy. The graying hair, the furrowed brows and deep wrinkles, the extra weight we’ve all gained through the years, made our meeting even more precious. As I sat looking at each of these marvelous men and realized how far each of us have come in our lives and the obstacles we have had to overcome to get to where we are today, my pride swelled.

Right now, I have two brothers living in Myrtle Beach. Another one will be moving down there within a year and then hopefully the fourth will follow soon afterward. I’m hoping for many more “sibling reunions” once we are all gathered in one area. Yes, we are growing closer, but we are also growing older and as we age I realize that our years to enjoy time together are numbered, so I want to savor each moment and honor the fact that we are “family”.