I got up a little later than usual today, around 6:30 AM. I didn’t sleep well last night, partly because a rotator cuff issues kept me awake.  I completed a course of physical therapy with mild to moderate results. The next step is surgery, something that I can’t do at this time as I need to be available to help my wife; such surgery will leave me nearly non-functional for months.  For now, I have to grin and bear it.  

Despite my hazy state, I’m excited this morning. Why? Julie and I will head off to another sibling breakfast with the remainder of my family. 

My family of origin consisted of 5 siblings.  My sister Carol is fifteen years my senior, my brother Tom was twelve years my senior, my brother Dave was ten years my senior, and my sister Nancy is seven years my senior.  

Tom passed away at age 33 from leukemia.  I liked Tom, who was a great writer of humorous anecdotes.  Just as I was reaching an age where we could have bonded, he became sick, and despite having the best care, he passed away. My brother Dave lived into his 70s but was plagued by the sequela from childhood polio and later PSP, a horrible neurological condition. I was not very close to Dave, which was unfortunate. As adults, I can’t say we had harsh words or some major point of conflict.  I guess sometimes that is just the way it is.

So, how does all of this relate to sibling breakfasts?  I am a person of relationships.  As I have said in previous posts, I don’t need a lot of connections, but I heavily invest in those that I value; some of those important relationships are my siblings and surrogate siblings.  I’ll be seeing them in two hours.

My biological siblings share my OCD tendencies. Both Nancy and Carol are very invested in the interest of the day. Currently, Nancy is locked into making fancy Bundt cakes, and Carol is focused on simplifying clutter. I talk to them almost every day and visit them when possible.  I can wholly relate to their obsessiveness.  I’m currently comparing the dynamic range of smaller camera sensors vs. larger ones. Completely unimportant for most, utterly fascinating for me- until I move on to my next obscure interest. 

My surrogate siblings are my brother-in-law Mike and my sister-in-law Kathy. I have known both since my early teens and hold them close to my heart. Mike regularly sends me links to various articles that he believes will interest me, and Kathy often says kind words when I post something. Add my wife, Julie, to this crew, and the party is complete.

We have been getting together on roughly a monthly schedule for many years.  We meet at a restaurant and “catch up.”  In reality, we know what is happening in each other lives via phone calls, visits, and Facebook.  However, we still cherish these face-to-face group times.

We are all getting older, and none of us wants to regret not trying to be together. I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to have these people in my life. They are all inspirational to me.  I value all of them, and I am certain that this feeling is reciprocated. 

I write a lot about relationships in my posts because I understand that they are fundamental in pursuing life’s satisfaction.  In this regard, the definer is quality, not quantity.  The only investments I have had to make to have these wonderful people in my life are my time and consideration.  They pick me up when I’m down, celebrate my achievements, and most importantly, value me just for who I am.  I am so fortunate.  Let the breakfast begin!