I just finished reading the book "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith and loved it. I was particularly touched by one paragraph, one description, which rang so true to me.
The children repaired to a nearby café. They sat on stools lined up against the windowpane…They caught up with each others new casually, leaving long, cosy gaps of silence in which to go to work on their muffins and coffees. J—after two months of having to be witty and brilliant in a strange town among strangers—appreciated the gift of it. People talk about the happy quiet that exists between lovers, but this too was great; sitting sister and brother, saying nothing, eating.
Before the world existed, before it was populated, and before there were wars and jobs and colleges and movies and clothes and opinions and foreign travel—before all of these things there had only been one person, a brother, and only one place: a tent in the living room made from chairs and bed sheets.
(Nevermind the fact that on a good day I was allowed inside the tent, but on a bad day I was underneath the layers of bed sheets and pillows, begging not to be sat upon! Sorry K, the memories are just far too vivid ;)
My mother told me once that one of her main goals in life was to ensure that Kyle and I grew up to be very close. Suffice to say she succeeded. I remember one time, being very young and getting into some brother/sister fight which ended in a series of scratching and hair pulling (yes, on my part!) Instead of getting mad at us, she sat us down beside each other and calmly said, “Your going to meet a lot of people in your life, have a lot of friends, girlfriends, and boyfriends--but you will only ever have one brother, and one sister, and they will be one of the only people you can and will rely on your whole life.” I have carried this message with me my whole life, and have seen its manifestation countless times.
Well what can I say, except well done you two!!
P.S. I have a great photo of you guys at 414 playing in a blanket fort under our backyard apple tree, will send it on. Well,I'm off now for a celebratory drink and a quick pat on the back. (ha ha)
