Brothers!

I have five, very wonderful, very different brothers.  All of them are talented men and amazing fathers.  I was lucky to be born smack in the middle of them.  Russ, Craig and Scott came first and my two little brothers, Jim and Spence coming after.  Being in the middle of a large family with an older sister and a little baby sister at the each end, gave me the unique opportunity to kick back and observe.   So I did.  

All my life I've been watching these boys turn into young men, adults, husbands and fathers.  (no grandfathers yet...but just give them a little more time.)  I've played with them, travelled with them, camped and hiked with them.  We've spent hours on the tramp and riding our bikes around town.  I've watched them with their friends, with their girlfriends and finally their wives and kids.  It is amazing, the things you can see if you just wait long enough.  

For one thing, I've never seen such a range of personalities.  We have the full rainbow spectrum spanning from quiet and introverted to boisterous and extremely extroverted.  We have people pleasers and assertive decision makers.  We have readers and athletes (and some that are both!)  Although their personalities are different, there are some things that they all have in common.  All of them have very big hearts.  They love deeply and laugh easily.  All of them would reach out and help anyone who needed anything (friendship, encouragement, knowledge, fixing something up...I've seen it all.)  They are loyal, honest and funny.  In fact, they all have a wicked humor that keeps me laughing even in highly inappropriate moments.  They are hard workers and smart.   None of them would approach the same problem in the same way, but they would all find a solution.  They love each other and enjoy spending time together.  They love my sisters and my parents.  They are very, very good boys.

I really love these men...so very much.  I admire them and look up to them all (quite literally.)  I don't know how much I've had to offer them, but I have always felt grateful to find myself squashed in the middle of so many brothers.