Siblings

April 17, 2012

Ahhhh, the 70s.

I love my brothers. I do. When I look back at my life it is hard to imagine my life without them. Of course, I am the youngest and so they have always been there. Kano was an only child for seven whole years! Lucho was the baby for a year and a half! I was born with two brothers and would not have any other way.

It was not always that way. There were many times when I wondered why I couldn’t have a little sister. Someone younger than me to torture as Lucho tortured me. Or maybe we could trade him for girl? J I say this now because I am sure there were many times as kids when he was stuck with his wimpy nerdy sister that he wished to trade me in for a little brother; and because after years of wishing for a sister I feel blessed to have brothers instead. I’m a guy’s girl. I have always been better in a circle of guys and I know it’s because I had them with me all through my life.

It's blurry, but I love it!

Kano is almost nine years older than me, and he left home for the first time when he was 16 so you do the math. He was an absentee brother for most of my childhood. In many ways he was like a cool uncle or another parent. When we moved to Puerto Rico he was the one that always spoke English in the house when the rest of us just switched to Spanish. I credit him with keeping me bilingual, not allowing me to forget like so many other seven year olds would have in my situation. He was also someone to write to. Back in the day when long distance phone calls were a luxury, and we actually wrote letters to keep in touch with our loved ones who had moved away, I wrote to my brother these cute little letters that spoke of my grades and my best friends and what I wanted for Christmas. When I was 22 and left home and stayed with him and his then wife I found out he had kept all of those corny little letters. The man had moved at least ten times and had this box full of birthday cards and letters from me and my other brother. I still tear up when I think about it. Maybe my writing bug came from those letters too…

Lucho and I were a year apart in school, so we have a very different relationship. When we were young we walked to school together. On rainy days we played Monopoly,Uno, Life, Trivial Pursuit and every other board game you can think of. We would stay up late watching movies and comedy concerts. We fought so bad at times that Kano had to jump in and defend me when he was around. I will never forget the time he grabbed me by my long bangs and pulled on them until I dropped the remote control we had been fighting over. Mom had to create a “TV calendar” in which we raffled the days to see who had control of the TV, after my dad was done with it of course. Then we would negotiate LA Law for an NBA game or something. Later on in college, I did my first tequila shots with him right by my side telling me the words I have shared with younger folks ever since:

I don't look happy.

“Let me tell you about tequila little sis. You take the first shot and you are fine. You take the second one and you are fine. When you take the third one the first one kicks in so – take it slow.” (all of this is Spanish, of course).

My brothers. We have had good times and bad ones. We have survived marriages, divorces, babies, moving out of mom and dad’s, moving back in, moving out again. We have all lived together as adults at one point or another. I look towards our golden years and all the typical hardships to come and I am glad I have these two wonderful men to help me through them. Wouldn't change them for ten sisters. My brothers have had my back forever and I know they always will.

Our siblings help shape who we become. Take them away, and we are something else, unrecognizable in some cases. Some of you might be wondering who’s birthday it is, or why this burst of sibling affection. Well, this Thanksgiving we will be grateful for the little brother or sister Sofia will be getting. Michael and I are so excited for her. I hope she loves him or her as much as I love my boys.