Friday, July 15, 2011

Rock of Ages

People often persevere under strenuous circumstances. Tests of tolerance prove how strong some of us are. My older brother has passed hundreds of these tests.

Over the past four years, my brother has endured a series of medical issues related to major surgery. Throughout this period, he has shown a remarkable attitude in the face of adversity. He yields to no self-pity or sadness. Instead, he laughs at his misfortune and turns his attention to others. He has gone so far as to meet the family of a young girl who benefitted from his skin graft donation. Upon meeting this young girl and learning her story of overcoming injuries sustained from burns, he expressed his gratitude for medical advances in today’s world. His positive outlook never ceases to amaze me.

Even before his surgery, my brother was strong, not only physically, but emotionally. Many were the times he shoveled our (gravel!) driveway so our mother could arrive on campus to teach her 8 am classes during the winter. He handled issues as serious as our parents’ divorce and as light as (but, to true fans, just as traumatic) Red Sox losses. He guarded my younger brother and me and always made sure we were financially secure. He took time to explain music to me, as he once loved to play drums. What’s more, he never grew impatient with me as I repeatedly asked him about fundamentals of baseball and football. His patience is one asset I admire most about him.

So today, every time I choose to complain about something trivial, I think about my brother, who has been my rock. From indulging in garish, ‘80s, hair metal music by Def Leppard, to comforting me through my divorce, to teaching me how to swing a baseball bat, he has been a cornerstone of major parts of my life. I wouldn’t be the same without him.