Relationships are hard enough without having to second guess the ones that you were born into. Yet family relations are perhaps the trickiest of them all. They seem to have definition one day and then all of a sudden you can find that your whole foundation has been left shaken, not stirred.

The Polaris ATV that my brother acquired was his little man toy. He adamantly banned women. This included his sister and his own mother. My father’s role was to show up with his portable GPS and run off into the woods with my brother. My mother and I were supposed to be tending to the meal.

My brother has always been a tough nut for me to crack. He insists on being manly by keeping women at bay. He designs tattoo scenes that would make any mere mortal squirm with discomfort. My role in life is simple, activist related, and what I would consider to be pure. His is a total admonishment of all I believe in. Did we really come from the same family?

I never really wanted to be part of the action. I just wanted to be treated with dignity and respect. Just because I would forever be plagued as the little sister didn’t mean I was completely incompetent. It would be easy to just be angry all the time. We live in the 21st century. Maybe they’d choose to join it someday.

Sometimes, at their most infuriating, family surprises you. At our last monthly family dinner my brother showed up a seriously changed man. He had, in tow, one of the most beautiful women I think I have ever seen in my life.

My mother and I weren’t sure how he managed to get her but she was wicked smart, funny, and fit into the female end of the family just perfectly. She had goals and gumption.

At the end of the dinner my brother pulled me aside. I think it was the first apology that I had ever received in my life. The truth is, I ended up being the one to feel guilty. I had written off the potential for change. I had decided that he couldn’t change, see the light, or even come halfway toward my end. We’re not best friends or anything, but he did manage to remind me that being part of family means loving people despite their flaws, as those flaws may very well change one day.

Tags

Indoor Plants

Related posts

• Your Baby Boy Crib Bedding Should Be Fascinating Dr Seuss Crib Bedding (0)
• You’re Suffering An Anxiety Attack - How Do You Know? (0)
• Why Should You Buy Gift Vouchers For Your Family (0)
• Who You Are Likely To Meet On Oceania Cruises (0)
• When A Card Just Wont Cut It (0)