DHARMA - Brothers

I had just walked in the house from a defeating day. All I wanted to do was get into my pjs, curl up in my bed and fall asleep. I took off my coat, threw my purse down and started up to my room. Then my brother walked over, put his arm around me and said, “Do you know what you need?” “What?” I replied. “A beat down.”

Then suddenly, he had his arms around my shoulders and in one move, lifted me onto his back, then pretended to slam me onto the floor, and repeated this motion, yelling “Beat down!” while the dog barked furiously and my parents scolded him, pretending that this was inappropriate behavior in our house. By the time he put me down, I was smiling again. I gave him a big hug, told him I felt better, then with my sweetest face looked at him and said, “Cobra Strike!” and launched my hand, which was bent to resemble the head of a cobra, straight into his chest. “Damn,” he said, “you got me.”

Brothers, unlike any other man in the life of a woman, can tackle you, grapple with you, pick you up and spin you around, and fight with you, all without incurring a phone call to the police or a restraining order. They may be the first ones to physically assault you, but brothers are also the first ones to rush to your defense, give you the rest of their fries, or just let you talk, even when it’s boring or they don’t feel like listening. They are treasures.

For you women who don’t have brothers or for you men who don’t have sisters, you may find this all a little horrifying. But I assure you; both kindness and physical violence are important parts of how brothers show their sisters they love and care about them.

And I strive to be a good older sister, too. I discourage him from making bad choices, but can’t stop laughing when he tells me the stories that ensue when he does. I talk to him about his job, friends, life, but don’t push him when I get one-word responses. I adore, yes, really adore his girlfriend. And once in a while, I sneak up behind him and punch him really hard in the back, just to remind him how much I love him.