That’s what brothers are for

My brother and I used to fight a lot.

And when I say ‘fight’ I don’t mean we gave each other the silent treatment, or exchanged witty insults. I mean we grabbed each other by the shirt collars, balled up our fists and hauled off like a couple of bush-league hockey goons.

Sometimes we were smiling as we exchanged blows, sometimes we weren’t. But we always managed to get over it quickly and carry on without any long-lasting ill will.

The brotherly relationship can be both simple and complicated at the same time. For Aric and I, life was about relentless competition in almost every aspect of daily life – though as we got older, he would emerge as the vastly superior athlete.

Growing up on a small family farm, Aric and I had no trouble finding new and creative ways to keep busy. My aunt once told me we were like ‘feral children,’ running all over the countryside doing whatever we pleased – and Mom’s photo album validates that assessment.

We built two-storey tree forts, tinkered with old motorcycles and had ball hockey marathons in Dad’s workshop. We joined Boy Scouts together, played most minor sports on the same team, and rode ATVs and snowmobiles through every field within 50 miles of home.

Though they almost always take it for granted as kids, brothers share an unspoken bond and a mutual understanding that one will always be there for the other when the chips are down.

I remember Aric once driving 80 kilometres to give me a boost when my truck battery died in the middle of nowhere, and neither of us thinking too much of it at the time. That’s what brothers are for, after all.

This weekend, Aric is getting married to his long-time girlfriend Ashley. As the best man, I was asked to have a speech ready, but I’ve been struggling to find words that adequately explain what it was like to grow up with a little brother that was also a true best friend.

Sometimes, after one of our savage adolescent brawls, Mom and Dad would hold us face-to-face and make us say that we loved each other, while we protested and screamed names back and forth.

“You have to love each other because you are brothers forever,” Mom would say.

Now that I’m all grown up – with two feisty young boys of my own – I’m finally wise enough to appreciate what having a brother is all about.

So even though I can’t guarantee that we won’t have any more scraps, I can absolutely guarantee that we will continue to be there for each other when it counts.

Leo is a former Advocate editor. Contact him by email at newsdeadline@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/LeoPare