Day 3 - My Siblings

Day 3

This could take a few lines; this writing about my siblings. I have/had four, three brothers and a sister. I will go by birth order. Certainly, this is my own personal view of my siblings. It is not an exhaustive  study.

Charles Joseph (Charlie): He was beautiful in so many ways. I suspect he was a first crush for many girls. He was a courtly mannered, frequently foul-mouthed, suspender-wearing, Southern lawyer. He never met a stranger. He, like our mother, could pretty much talk his way through or out of most anything. He loved music of all kinds. He loved fast cars and fast boats. He loved beautiful things. He enjoyed sharing his largesse. He would pick up hitchhikers, feed them, clothe them, help them in any way he could and then grieve when he felt it not enough. He was not a gifted money manager, but he was extraordinarily generous. He was one of the most complex personalities I have ever known. He was more easily wounded than a casual observer would ever suspect. He felt responsible for many situations, most of which he wasn't. The pain in this world was too much for him. He died almost eleven years ago.

John Michael (Mike): How does one describe Mike?  He was hilarious and told great stories peppered with quite salty language. Taking care of his family, especially financially, was a top priority in his life. He adored his wife, and well he should have! He loved to fish and be out on the water. He was a Vietnam Vet. Going to war changed him in many ways. He smoked too much, and it could be argued that at times he drank too much beer. He shot squirrels in his garden from his back porch. I think his first job was selling stolen hubcaps. He would literally give a person the shirt off his back. He was a champion of the underdog and tolerated neither unkindness nor stupidity. He loved babies. He told you like it was and if that hurt your feelings, then he was right sorry for that, but he never back-pedaled on what he said. He got red in the face when he got worked up over certain topics (politics) and was astounded that I don't watch the news. The only thing he ever bought "on time" was his house. He had personal boundaries and did not let himself be victimized by allowing others to cross them. He worked hard. He loved well. He died almost two years ago.

Samuel Andrew (Sam): Sambo came into this world several weeks early, a tiny little being with soulful blue eyes and eyelashes so long they went above his eyebrows. He is still beautiful, although it will embarrass him that I said so. If given the chance, he would tell you all the reasons that I am being overly gracious. If you know him, you know I do not exaggerate. He is a gentle soul living in a harsh world, and some days that is really hard. He has a poet's spirit. He is a voracious reader. He loves art.  He loves music (head banging), and nature and his family. He is an uncle to lots of kids who love him dearly, be they blood kin or not. He loves to play. He paddle and skate boards (not at the same time, but I don't want to plant any ideas in his head). He enjoys good food and pleasant atmospheres, but he is equally at home in the neighborhood dive. He, like Mike, will set you straight if he thinks you need it (his being delivered more gently), and like Charlie, he has exquisite manners. He enjoys Guinness and Jameson Irish Whiskey and The Packers. He is one of the most non-judgmental people I know.  He does not hold a grudge or keep an account of offenses. He moved back to Nashville from Wisconsin several years ago, and I am very glad.

Doree Ann (Doree or Do'Do,'  Door, or Doooooreee Ayun - depending on whose talking about her): Finally, at the age of 15, I got a sister. She is beautiful with a lot of Williams in her and the Binkley sparkling blue eyes. She was a really sweet child for months on end, and then suddenly, out of nowhere, she would briefly lose her ever-loving mind. Mom would set her straight, and then she was back to her normally lovely ways. She could read anything when she was about 3 or 4. We showed her off a lot.  She is so, so funny. Like Mike, she can tell a story until you find yourself gasping for air from the laughter. My grandchildren adore her. She loves old people, and her sensitive spirit often leads her to tears if she sees an elderly gentleman eating by himself in a restaurant. She cries easily. She loves animals (gargantuan understatement) and sort of runs a home for wayward animals in her suburban home. She is a whirling dirvish when it comes to cleaning up and clearing out. Once, when she was in a cleaning frenzy her husband said to me, "don't stand still too long or she'll throw you in the trunk and take you to Goodwill!" Her home is warm and inviting and colorful and she is a gracious hostess. If she is asked to buy something for the needy, her attitude is, "if it's not good enough for me, then it's not good enough for them."  She is generous and kind and a bit bawdy at times. She is a great mimic. If you are with her and she runs into someone she knows, find a place to rest because it's gonna be a while. Like Charlie and Sam, sometimes this difficult world can be a bit overwhelming to her. The casual observer would never know that from time to time she suffers terribly. She is often the one her friends call when they have a problem. She was worth the 15 year wait.

Day 3 - My Siblings - check