I grew up with four brothers. We were not a “touchy feely” family and scattered to the four winds as soon as we reached adulthood. My oldest brother, almost nine years my senior, left home at seventeen to join the military. We spent very little time together after that.
Ken was the black sheep. He was often the brunt of family jokes. During his recent visit to Bacalar I learned quite a lot about him. I’ve always known that he was extremely intelligent. He is painfully smart, we’re talking a human walking encyclopedia smart. And I got a glimpse of how difficult that sort of brain has made his life.
Lisa and I took turns hanging out with him. She had far more patience. I did my best to practice being present and not letting our familial relationship get in the way.
It was clear that Ken was very glad to be spending time with me. It felt nice to have him see my life. We showed him around our little corner of the globe, ate good food (made by us and at local eateries) and went through photos and movies. We talked family history and shared memories. It was good.
I admit that I was nervous about him coming to visit. Not all my childhood memories of growing up with four brothers are good ones. None of us had a perfect childhood and adult sibling relationships can be complicated. He is eighty years old and I’m sorry it’s taken us this long.
DOS TORTAS
the adventures of dos tortas 
So sweet – it is never too late. Thank you for the gift of this lovely blog – Merry Christmas to all of you ‘over there’ and much love – Lorrie (and for bob)
Lorrie Jones Simple Serenity simpleserenity.comhttp://simpleserenity.com/ 253.312.3117
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I love this post. I too have a brother (four years younger, tho) who is that intelligent…scary smart, like yours. We were close as young children, then drifted apart after college for many years. We got along fine at family gatherings, laughed a lot, but just didn’t have that deep a relationship, as we were both out in our different worlds, doing our own thing. Now, in our 50s and 60s, we are the closest we’ve ever been. We’ve had the opportunity for long, deep conversations over the past few years, and my love for him has deepened immensely. He is going through a difficult time currently, and I am so thankful that I am able to be there for him. I never realized how much having a brother meant to me until these past few years. It is truly never too late to become close friends with our sibling(s). I’m happy that you are finding that too!
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Wishing you guys a Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo ! 🤗 Hoping we can get together this coming year when I’m in Mahahual Feb.16 – April 12th 😎Didn’t make it last 😑
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Better late than never. I have two older brothers and we’re not close and never have been which is shame in lots of ways. But there it is.
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I’m so glad he came to visit and that he left with the two of you feeling better about each other. A Christmas gift, for sure.
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It was. He was obviously glad to be with me. It was nice. 😊
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Staying Present – You did the right think. I had a “Bright” older brother who made some bad decisions (trying to live Hugh Heffner fantasies. Three wives, three sets of children lots of pain. I try to share all the good memories and burry the bad one his children don’t know.
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That’s hard. My brother had his share of bad decisions. He’s doing well now thank god.
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