There's Nothing Like a Brotherly Bond

At the risk of stating the obvious, parenting is frickin' hard. We don't get handbooks when our babies are born. We get a quick lesson on changing a diaper, feeding, burping, bathing, a swift kick in the rear and we're out the door. As parents, we leave the hospital with a pit in our stomachs that we are somehow going to break this new, beautiful, fragile being.

On a day to day basis, I do the best I possibly can as a mom. In that day there could be moments of glory and moments of regret. I may yell, I may display more patience than usual, I may keep quiet or I may be all up in their business; whatever deems necessary. 

As my kids have gotten older, there is one thing that makes me realize I have done a halfway decent job as a Mom. It shows in the love my kids have for each other. They may argue, be competitive, drive each other crazy, but at the end of the day they have each other's back. Yesterday my 19 year old posted this picture on Instagram of he and his younger brothers. While I question if it were to show off his guns to the ladies, his photo caption warmed this Mama's heart with pride......and relief. It seems that I am not screwing them up completely. 

Buddies and girlfriends may come and go, but brothers will always be brothers.

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A brother is a friend given by Nature. - Jean Baptiste Legouve

There's no other love like the love for a brother. There's no other love like the love from a brother. - Terri Guillemets

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring, quite often the hard way. - Pamela Dugdale

The family is one of nature's masterpieces. - George Santayana

To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. - Clara Ortega

It takes two men to make one brother. - Israel Zangwill