That Brother of Yours...

{A post from the archives 2012 to be precise ...one of my favorites that still makes me grin. 

Please ignore the foreboding snow in the background.}

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Dear Molly,

I think it's time to explain something to you about that brother of yours.

Oh I know you think he's so funny. I know he makes you laugh until you can't breath. 

I know he waits on you hand and foot as if he believes that you actually have royal blood running through your veins. 

Yes, you can always count on him for a good cuddle...

... and I know that you two have quite a time everyday when he puts you down for your nap. 

That he became even more of a hero to you the day he showed you how to become Spiderman is something no one could ever doubt. 

But Molly, that brother of yours, he is a joker and, you my dear are one of his prime targets, probably because you are the smallest and the least likely to do much physical harm to him and because he's confident that you won't be able to stay mad at him for very long.

A joker he is though, and you need to be aware of this because the other morning when he grabbed a Phillips Head screwdriver and told you that it was used to make belly-buttons and then you said "Wow! I didn't know that!" it was all over. He knew he had you. So when he chased you with that screwdriver while you screamed, "Don't Cole, I don't need TWO belly buttons!!" I just couldn't help but laugh...hard...and that simply wasn't very helpful to you and your poor little traumatized self.

My advice to you is to be skeptical about anything that brother of yours (and really all boys in their teenaged years) might tell you that seems odd or out of place...he's probably setting you up for some  joke or trick. 

If, however, that brother of yours tells you something nice or maybe even that he thinks you are pretty or special, you can be sure that he means it with all of his goofy laughter-craving heart.

 The highlight of my childhood was making my brother laugh so hard that food came out his nose.  

~ Garrison Keillor