my bookends

How fortunate that my bookends are so close despite the 13 years of stories between them. The little one has a mile long guide book to reference that older brother has scribed with a first born child's failures and success and an underlying theme of  how to be a kind, compassionate, decent human being. Always emptying the penny jar for those in need.

He has recently volunteered to help with her evening bath. It has made her a more independent bather because brother is not ready to wash all of her yet. They have a routine- he pretends to drink the bath water out of the red cup we use to wet her hair. And she admonishes him, “ Eww, that’s gross. You’ll get sick!” But if he forgets the script, she yells at him to Drink the water!

She can be fickle with him- pushing off his brotherly advances when he just wants to give her a hug as he leaves for school. There is a desperate force within him to get all of his time in with her- leave his imprint. When the time comes that he is not here to see her wake or go to sleep, he’ll know his love is always transcribed on her little heart.

So when she asks for ice cream when he’s looking after her, I try not to get in the way despite the fact that she is a horrendous eater and dessert is not justified. They tip their bowls and celebrate the messes on their faces. He will always be her treat- not just another person in the house to contend with for attention and time.

She came into our lives at a big turning point in his adolescence and he learned to make sacrifices. But he never minds sacrificing his dignity to entertain her- dressing in my old clothes and her bonnet. She beams with pride as he adorns her with a real baby giraffe fur coat that he hunted down for her.  So, even though he is supposed to be watching her and keeping her out of my hair so that I can finish a project, I am compelled to pause when he calls for my attention. Look at us, we are ready for tea! He must truly adore her because he knows as I am snapping their picture, I will upload it to Facebook in a few minutes.

He didn't know, when she was born, how much she would matter. What a gift to have someone to help you delve into and appreciate the chapters that reside and unfold between your lives.