Brotherly Love

 

H enjoyed his promotion to big brother. That changed once his brother was mobile and could play with H’s toys and treasures. In elementary school, his brother would try to initiate conversation or play with H only to be met with silence.

 

This continued into high school. One day, Hunter decided to write a list titled “Favorite Things.” I was pleased to rate fourth, below the dog and his favorite snacks. His brother walked over, inspected the list and said “I’m not even on the list and number seven is a movie he’s never seen.”

 

Once his brother attained his driver license, the relationship changed. H loved that his brother could bring him on snack runs and other places that he wanted to go. His brother certified as a PCA and he and H began spending more time together. Then, his brother went off to college.

 

H also moved away from home to a group home but would ask almost daily if his brother was still at college and when he would see him again. Occasionally H would make the 2 ½ hour drive to see his brother which included tossing out the starting pitch at his brother's senior day baseball game.

 

Life continues to go on and his brother is moving again, this time across the country for grad school, earning a full scholarship if he stays for a few years to work. This move creates a few more barriers for H, his only options being a 25-hour car ride, a plane with potential babies or toddlers crying or waiting until his brother returns home for a visit. Brotherly love, as with everything connected to H, is often masked, sometimes complicated, and always evolving.