Archive - October 16, 2012

My brother Mike and I circa 1976. Move over John Travolta… that stylin’ disco dude in the background is our dad.    Siblings fight. It’s totally normal. So apparently my children are abnormal. They’re still young though, so all hell could still break loose. But at this moment they are completely peaceful. They have never had a fight or disagreement of any kind. No bickering, hitting, tattling or vying for attention. I watch my son, the older of the two, and marvel at how fiercely protective he is of his kid sister. They are best friends.  This has absolutely NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with parenting. We have not taught them this behaviour. By all accounts the nine year old should resent his little sister. Her medical issues have resulted in him missing out on many outings and a large portion of attention has been diverted away from him to her. Instead of acting out, he simply loves her more. My brother, three years my junior, and I were the same; best buddies growing up. Apart from a few squabbles in our teen years, I don’t recall a single harsh word between us, ever. He’s a grown man now, but I[…]