Brothers and Sisters

This is what I see every morning after I push them out the door ...


This is what I hear from the moms whenever I pick up the girlie from kindergarten ...

"Your boy, he is so protective of your daughter."

"He doesn't let her out of his sight, he's always got an arm around her or he's holding onto her hand as she gets off the bus."

"It's amazing. She gives him a big hug at the door and he does not leave until he sees that she's inside safely with the rest of her class."

My rugrats. They know each other's weak spots and they bug each other mercilessly every chance they get.

But there's some unwritten rule there, a bond that only they know, as only siblings can "get".

He lets her hang out with him and his friends, and he only occasionally complains to me, asking for space. She'll invade his playdates and seek attention from his friends. He doesn't mind overly much. He's almost 9, and she is just 4. I think it's safe to assume that most 9 year olds would shudder at the thought of their pipsqueak younger sister getting into their territory.

Even when we get into the house, occasionally, the big brother will stop and help his little sister take off her shoes. I tell him that she's old enough to do that on her own and he responds with, "Oh, it's okay Mom. I'm here anyway, I may as well give her a hand."

What did she do to deserve this? The girlie, I must admit, has hit the sibling jackpot.

*****

My mother comes home tomorrow. She's been away for almost a month visiting with her brothers. A visit to Hong Kong that she had been hoping to take with my Dad.

Mom's been busy. Shopping, taking a few side tours to Indonesia, eating out, more shopping. No cooking, no cleaning, no laundry... and visiting friends and old classmates who she hadn't seen in over 40 years. She even picked up some extra luggage to fill with the goodies she's purchased for her beloved grandkids.

Both her brothers there have been wonderful to her. They've even given her shopping funds, too much for her to use up so she'll have extra to come home with. I think she's at the place she needs to be right now, in the company of her family. She's often talked wistfully about her big brothers, the one just older than her in particular. Such wonderful memories she has of of them watching out for her while growing up. Her brothers are now taking very good care of their little sister. In her words, she is being treated like a queen.

I've always said that little G is so much like her grandmother.

And luckily for her, the little princess, it looks like she'll also share this with Poh-Poh.

The love of a big brother, that will undoubtedly last a lifetime.