Little Bro

So I was thinking that Lil Bro will be dealing with that thing many siblings have to deal with for various reasons. Living in the shadow of another sibling. And on many levels.

• The Boy is outgoing and a real meet-and-greeter. Lil Bro is initially a bit more shy but copies the extroverted antics of his big brother.


• The Boy is older and therefore hitting a lot of things first. Lil Bro will enter school and be known as The Boy's little brother.


• The Boy is a ham and will probably do some kind of acting or singing. If Lil Bro doesn't (and he's not showing the love for it like The Boy), then he may be in the wings.


• The Boy has TS and gets extra attention for that. Lil Bro has no signs yet and we hope he never does. But the sibling of a special needs kid can often feel like they're the second priority.

I was raised the youngest of 4 kids. At the age of 7 months, I started having major medical issues with my kidneys. For the first 2 years of my life, I had multiple surgeries, lots of illness related to those surgeries and my condition, almost died a few times, blah blah blah. I know that my siblings were often left in the care of my dad and/or friends while mom stayed in the hospital. This was especially hard on my sister - girls need their mommy. My oldest brother was pulled from little league because mom couldn't keep sitting in the car with a super-sick infant. I'm a singer and ham. I've always jumped into any spotlight that showed up. My siblings are much more normal and reserved. They are musicians and music managers. They are behind the scenes. They are what keeps all the show offs able to show off.

So in the light of my ripe old age, I am keenly aware of how special those people are that have to live in any aspect of anyone's shadow. They are the adoring fans. They are the quiet support. They are the unthanked organizers of everything. They are the unconditional love. I have no idea where I'd be without my wonderful siblings. And I can tell you that I love watching the absolute love and worship that goes in both directions between The Boy and Lil Bro.

Lil Bro will be fine. But to give him a little time here in this blog, here he is. Cute and full of attitude. I wonder if he'll be the younger guardian of The Boy. I picture kids possibly teasing The Boy when/if his tics get more pronounced. And I picture Lil Bro getting that little screwed up angry look on his face and rushing in to kick some bad-kid butt. But that's just me. We'll see how it really goes.