On Saturday night Graham and I went over to my Dad & Heather’s to have supper and play some cards. Things have been sort of stiff and awkward between my brother and I ever since my Mom moved out. I think we’re both making a lot of assumptions about things that we shouldn’t. We really need to get together and chat sometime.
Matt was home when we got to the house, on his way out to a fabulous, open-bar Christmas party. He shook Graham’s hand, as usual, but somehow I got missed in the shuffle of arrivals and departures. I was happy to discover that Matt hadn’t actually left yet…he had just been outside having a smoke, I think. When he came back into the kitchen I was washing a dish in the sink, and he came up to me and wrapped his brotherly arms around me in a very sincere, unsolicited and much needed hug. I really needed that. It made my night, in fact.
Things are going to be okay…it’s just going to take some time. Meanwhile, I’ll content myself with pictures like these.
Christmas Eve, about 1983 or 1984.
Christmas morning, that same year. Mom and Dad spoiled us ridiculously that year. See all the presents? Insanity. But man, we had fun! (I have the piano and that brown chair, still.)
Writing our letters to Santa, Christmas Eve, 1988 or so, to leave out with the cookies and milk. Mom made me get a “body perm” that year. It turned out horribly. This is the closest I’ve ever come to having a mullet.
Christmas morning, that same year. We always got to open new Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve. See how the tops of our stockings are overflowing with nearly identical items? Mom and Dad always made sure it was “fair”, and that neither of us felt like the other got more for Christmas. My Mom is still conscious of that…
A few years later, into the awkward early highschool years…I think this is about 1992. The grunge era clearly had an impact on my new jammies that year…
A brother’s hug always seems to make everything better, doesn’t it?
BTW, you’re freaking me out with that Christmas countdown since I have yet to buy a single gift.
I am very glad that your brother gave you a hug. I have an older brother (just by 11 months) that is one of my best friends. His support means the world to me. It sounds like you have a keeper, too. Things will work out. My brother and I both have an understanding of the way our Mom is and I bet you two will as well. Take care.
Oh, the long t-shirt pjs! How I had like eight pair of them. Awesome.