I spent last weekend with my oldest brother and his
family, as my brother completed an ultra-marathon. This particular
ultra-marathon was 50 miles of nonstop running, and it would be my brother’s
first time running more than 31 miles in one stretch.
He decided this past spring that he would do it,
and began training, losing weight (not that he needed to, but MY GOD he’s in
phenomenal shape now), and preparing in every way imaginable. Last month when
he ran a marathon in the city I live in, we talked about what the 50-miler might
feel like. He was nervous about how his feet would hold up, what his body would
do, etc. I told him that he didn’t have to be a hero, and if he decided he
wanted to stop running at any point along the course, he should do so with a
clear conscience. He wouldn’t hear it, though; he had to finish.
And finish he did! He ran for nine hours last
Saturday, and completed all 50 miles with his feet intact, a smile on his face
and only the slightest utterance of “I think I might throw up” when he
initially crossed the finish line.
WOW! Watching him set that goal and accomplish it
got me thinking about all the cool things I’ve learned from my brother in the
past few years. Tenacity and endurance are just two of those things. A few
others that stand out are:
1.
Aging: It’s not just wine that
gets better with age. My oldest brother looks the best he’s ever looked, and he
just turned 40. Truth be told, he looks more like he’s in his 20’s to me. How does he do that?
2.
Airborne: The best soapbox
my oldest brother ever got on was professing the genius of Airborne to prevent
colds. That was about five years ago, and I swear by the stuff now. I travel
with it, keep a spare roll at home, and any time I feel even the slightest bit “off,”
I pop a tablet or two during the day and end up feeling fine, even when the
rest of the world is dropping around me like flies.
3.
Surprise Gifts are AWESOME!:
My brother is the type of guy who surprised his wife with a first-time European
trip for their ten-year anniversary. She had no idea what was happening until
he started driving her to the airport. I’ve always loved my brother’s sense of
romance and adventure. Well, it’s not just his wife who gets to enjoy his
generosity and surprises. My brother is constantly giving me really cool gifts he
thinks I’ll like, whether they’re things I’ve mentioned wanting, asked to
borrow (including an iPod for a cross-country flight --- instead of lending me
his, he surprised me with my own!), or that he thinks I “must have” (a
subscription to Entertainment Weekly was
just added to that list, along with the first two seasons of 30 Rock on DVD). I’ve loved surprises
since I was a little girl, so as an adult I really appreciate that I get to
partake in my brother’s knack for knocking people’s socks off in the gift
department.
4.
Some Relationships Take Time:
Funny enough, my brother and I weren’t always close. Growing up, I idolized
him, but in our 20’s we didn’t see eye to eye on much of anything. There was
even a time when I thought we’d missed our chance at having a close
relationship as adults. But a couple years ago, we started talking more, and
really got to know each other. I felt more comfortable sharing my authentic
self with him, and think he did, as well. Today we’re closer than I ever
dreamed possible, and I love spending time with him, which just goes to show
that some relationships simply need more time in order to blossom.
If you had asked me ten years ago if I’d ever write
with such reverie about my oldest brother, I probably would have said no. Yet
here I am, singing his praises and feeling grateful that he’s part of my
family. I have another totally awesome brother I don’t see as often as I’d like
(but there’s still time to change that), and a phenomenal cousin in Seattle who
also deserves praise, but I’ll save that for another day.
What
about you? What joyful types of things have you learned from your siblings, or
if you’re an only child, from a friend who’s like a sibling?
