That photo (well the photo that the photo is of, when I next find this album I’ll scan the actual photo) was taken on my 10th birthday, and that child would be my 5 month old brother. Awww.  I now find myself sitting alone, 12 years later because he’s spending the first week of his Tattie Holidays at a residential music programme having the time of his life with a guitar.

I am incredibly grateful for having such a wonderful sibling.  Somebody who I’ve been known to describe as “more of a friend than a brother.”  Somebody who knows me inside out and back to front, better than anybody else.  Who can tell just by looking at me how my day has been.  I’m grateful for all the many, many times that he has played doctor and looked after me when I’m ill- checking up on me, bringing me juice.  There was even one time not so long ago when I was not feeling so well that he phoned up his friend and cancelled their swimming plans “because my sisters ill today and I can’t go out.”  To be honest I would have been glad of the peace and I tried to tell him that but he was insistant that he had to stay at home too.

He’s a pain in the neck, his hobbies are all incredibly noisy (basketball? tuba? guitar? xBox?) and we argue all the time.  It’s okay though, because I taught him to stand up for himself so when it comes to arguing we’re pretty evenly matched, and 70% of our disagreements tend to be resolved by one or both of us bursting into fits of laughter.  He’s as sane as I am.  I’ve been known to launch into a full blown screaming fit at him, and he just takes it, then later he’ll forgive me without even waiting for me to say sorry.  He’s easily the more talented sibling, but I can spell so I’m still the better child.  He’s hilarious by nature, and 90% of the time he doesn’t even realise it.

There’s a big enough age gap that we are in completely different stages of life, and this benefits us greatly.  There’s a small enough age gap that we can still agree on things to do together.  Life is a lot less lonely with a sibling around to share the fun with.