Birthdays

Today is my older brother's birthday. He predates me by less than two years, and I have always appreciated his unique giftings. We get along fairly well despite his early attempts to remove sibling competition (he bonked me on the head with a can of spinach when I was a baby, and once he pushed me off the porch in my baby carriage).

I wish him a most happy day filled with joy and happiness. And perhaps solitude and peace so he can pursue any of his many creative avenues which include photography, music composition, and gourmet cooking! (Not to mention building a computer in his bedroom before there were computers!)

I am always impressed by his thoughtful tender heartedness which makes me want to explore ways of gentling my own bristly approach to life. Yet this unusual caring towards loved ones is never syrupy or surfacy. It takes on a depth and strength born of his constant wrestling with life's tough questions.

He has not come easily to such a position of strength and character so admired and coveted by members of our lost and forlorn culture. Some geniuses who encounter friction with cultural norms draw back from society and live in isolation. Others are broken by the rejection. A few, like my brother, become caringly intertwined with those around them, setting for the rest of us an example of loving integrity.

Here's to you, dear brother. The older you grow, the more I admire your ways. May we all find ways to age gracefully as you are doing. I can't wait to see how amazing you are at 100.