brother

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Dear Jack: I See You Working on Emotionally Maturing

11 years, 11 months.

Dear Jack,

As you are now only a few weeks away from your 12th birthday, I am definitely seeing signs of your maturing on an emotional level; more than ever before.

You are better embracing your role as protector and mentor, as an older brother; as opposed to seeing your sister as a threat to attention on you.

I can relate.  I have grown this year as well.

I feel that this year for me has been the greatest amount of personal growth I have ever experienced; as I have learned who I actually am from an Enneagram perspective.

Similarly, I understand you better as well. And I think that, in turn, as helped you in your role as an older brother.

 

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Jack: Helping Your Sister with Her Birthday Legos

11 years, 6 months.

Dear Jack,

One of the birthday gifts Mommy and I got for your sister was a Lego Friends set, featuring two girls, an elephant, and a purple Jeep.

The set clearly says it’s designed for ages 6 and older, but why would your sister bother building the thing, when she has you?

Granted, you didn’t mind at all, volunteering for the job once we sensed that she was feeling a little intimidated by the construction project ahead of her.

I am proud to see you step up to help her like you do. And I’m seeing it more often now than ever before.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: You and Your Brother Like to Use Each Other as a Pillow

3 years.

Dear Holly,

You and your brother have this habit after dinner of lazily laying around on the carpet, as you both sort of roll around on each other.

Or maybe it’s more like you are using each other as a pillow.

You even has this habit of putting your feet right in his face, as if you’re trying to use your toes to pick his nose!

But he is never are bothered by this.

Instead, the two of you begin laughing so loud by how silly it is.

Sometimes, you just have to be silly and lazy at the same time as your brother.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Having a Big Brother is Pretty Great

1 year, 6 months.

Dear Holly,

This past Monday morning after Mommy left for work, your brother invited you to join him on the couch, as it happened to be one of his days he’s allowed to watch Netflix on the Kindle before school. To accommodate what he correctly assumed would be your preference, he chose some kind of “Barbie Goes to Space” cartoon.

I looked up to see you and your brother sitting very close to each other, by choice. It was completely your brother’s idea and you immediately went along with it.

It’s not easy as a parent to be able to take your picture together and have you both smiling or looking happy. But this wasn’t for a picture. It was already happening and I was just fortunate enough to grab the camera in time.

Plus, you just happened to be wearing one of my favorite shirts you own.

It has a cloud raining down smiley candy. I just love the way you were cuddled up so close to your brother, quietly fascinated by whatever was playing on the screen your brother was holding.

I love the way he was more interested in being close to you than he was the Barbie show he was providing for you.

The thing is, your brother truly always wants to be near you. But right now, I am still in the process of helping him understand how to just hang out with you.

I am trying to teach him there is a time for light wrestling and crawling out on the carpet, but it’s not most of the time.

Instead, most of the time would be moments like this; where the two of you just chill out and lay low.

Eventually, the two of you will find that easier to do.

But for now, his natural inclination is to rush toward you like a mad bull, and you laugh and cheer, which only encourages his rambunctious behavior right before school, dinner, or bedtime.

Love,

Daddy

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Dear Holly: Having a Much Older Brother Makes Your Life More Interesting

10 months.

Dear Holly,

I had never considered, until this past weekend, how dramatically different your life would be if you had an older sister, instead of an older brother; an one who is significantly older: Jack is nearly 5 and half years older than you.

When he is a senior in high school, you’ll be in 8th grade. Not only is he a different gender, but he’ll also always be in a different stage of childhood.

And I really like it that way.

I like how he naturally takes care of you, even if I’m understandably a little nervous…

Saturday morning as Jack was getting excited about me taking him to go see Kong: Skull Island, he chose to take on the persona of King Kong.

He built a mountain out of his stuffed animals and our living room sofa.

You were just watching in curiosity, from the kitchen floor as you meticulously dissected a patch of tissue paper.

“Grrrr! Roowwwrrr! Woohrrr!” Jack beat his chest as he gave you a scary look as he tossed debris at you, including a sock and a small stuffed animal.

You weren’t too impressed, but you were paying attention.

Then on Sunday evening, as Mommy was preparing dinner, Jack decided to give you free wrestling lessons.

There shouldn’t have been a big smile on your face the whole time, but there definitely was. You loved it!

I think one of the many advantages of having a much older brother is that, by default, you have no fear.

Not only are you used to the likes of a Kindergartner who pretends to be an angry roaring ape, and who wrestles you on the carpet, but you instinctively know that he’s also quick to protect you with that same strength.

Yeah, things would be much different if you had an older sister instead.

Love,

Daddy