My last post on positive influences was about my parents and how awesome they were when I was a kid, and every step of the way since then. Today I’d like to shift focus on to my brothers. Since they are such a big part of my life, I think I will begin with how they influenced me when I was a little tike, trying to keep up with them through my childhood years.
Being a mom, a younger sibling, and a baby sister, it has been interesting putting the pieces together of how my childhood might have looked from another vantage point. I’m sure it took a lot of getting used to by my two big brothers to have a new baby in the house, particularly a girl when they were all set to reenact episodes from “My Three Sons.” Surprise! Not gonna happen. 🙂
I’m not sure how my mother was with them and me, but I’ve noticed how I am with my own children. I am constantly having to referee their interactions. Boo is such a burly, bulldozer type. And Little Bee is… well, little!
From the beginning of my memory, however, I recall two things:
- I was always picked on and beat up
- I always wanted to be like my big brothers
I attribute my toughness, and probably a bit of my teenage angst, to having two older boys to follow around and look up to. I attribute my entrepreneurship, athleticism, tenacity for life, and dedication to achieving goals also to my brothers. Those of you who know my family and me will probably laugh at the athleticism comment. We aren’t really athletic types at all. But during the formative years, I watched my brothers at baseball games, basketball games, and track and cross country meets. They were always busy doing something. And more often than not, it was something sports-related.
I remember being a little kid, like really little (maybe 3 or 4), and my brothers and dad would create these crazy obstacle courses in the backyard, and they would play “Summer Olympics.” It was fun. I tried to keep up but obviously never really could.
Summer after summer was nothing but playing catch. I didn’t play, but I quietly observed. I enjoyed watching the boys have bonding time with dad. When I was significantly older and my oldest brother was off to college, that’s when I began participating in sports and playing catch with dad. It wasn’t quite the same, but I did get some dad time in myself.
Our age gap is pretty big, actually. My oldest brother and I are eight years apart. My middle brother and I are almost five years apart. This was good and bad. Good because I could observe all of their awesomeness as they grew and I could aspire to be like them one day. I also got to experience being an only child for a few short years when they were both out of the house. Unfortunately that time was during high school for me, when I could not have cared any less about being an only child. The bad part about being so far apart in age is that I never really had a tight bond with either one of them. At least not until recently. I’ve noticed the older we get, the more human we seem to one another.
I digress. During our childhood, watching my super active crazy brothers run around every which way, helped to shape who I am today. I took sports for granted in middle and high school, but here I am now. I don’t take it for granted. I am thankful for all of those baseball games and track meets. When I look back through my memories, those memories give me the extra kick to keep going and to help positively shape the lives of my children today. I liked taking part in my brothers’ sports, even if I was just a little tot. It was fun. And a wonderful example to try to follow.
The proof is in the pudding — t-ball!
I joined cross country and track in middle school because of my brothers. They are the only reason I would ever put myself through such torture. I was slow, unmotivated, and generally miserable. But I wanted to be like them. Perhaps that’s part of the reason I was so awful. I was trying to live up to their speeds and the expectations of others to continue their legacy, instead of focusing on myself and what I could do on my own. (The things we learn as we grow and mature…) Today when I run or face an obstacle I have not faced before, I think back on what they have endured, experienced, and achieved in their lives, and I draw from that. But I recognize that I am not them, and I can only be myself and live up to my own expectations.
In closing, I just want to say thanks to my brothers. We might not always get along, we might go weeks or even months without speaking. I’m not going to sugarcoat it and say growing up with you was the best thing ever, because let’s face it, having your arms pinned around your back while you’re having an asthma attack is probably not really that fun, but we sure did have some awesome adventures together. (Driving around and listening to loud music with my older brothers — totally awesome.)
I think of your positive influences in my life daily, and that is a fantastic gift. So thanks. 🙂
xo
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Who has been a positive influence in your life?
How have they shaped who you are today?
achieveathletebaseballbasketballbrotherchildchildhoodchildrencross countryendurefamilylovememoriesrunningtrack
