my brother and me

For the past week, my brother, Ben, and I have been the tag-team (along with my Dad's caregiver, Fran) that has helped him through the recovery from his fall. My other siblings will come to town soon to take over. The four of us kids make a good team. We're lucky to have each other.

Ben is four years older than me. We are the middle children, and we have a lot of the same personality traits. We've not spent a great deal of time together over the years, as we have lived in different cities since he went off to boarding school when he was 16 or so. Of course, we've been together for family events, vacations, holidays, etc., but never have we spent a solid week together (essentially just the two of us), talking back and forth constantly on our cell phones, speaking together in hushed tones in a hospital hallway, easing Dad into bed together, quizzing the doctors, reporting to one another how Dad's morning or afternoon or evening was, feeding Dad his dinner, etc. It's interesting, but it was Ben with whom I spent the last night of Mom's life, the two of us trying to keep her from falling off the bed as she struggled with her pain, pulling the covers up around her when she tossed them aside, calling hospice that next morning, catching our breath together, being afraid together, glancing at each other with tears in our eyes as we knew the end was drawing near for her.

I feel so fortunate to have these three people in my life - my two brothers and my sister. I feel as if I know each of them very well. But I feel as if I have gotten to know Ben in a slightly different way because of these experiences we have shared.

I know I was always calling out to him as a child... let me try that, can I come with you, help me do this, come look at this, will you lift me up, can I ride on your shoulders? Little sisters, you know.

This piece I made for my "Shredding Project" is of Ben and me. It is one of my favorites.