Complex People

I have several complex people in my life but no one more intriguing than my brother, the middle child. This guy and I have been at cross-purposes for years. He is incredibly high-energy and totally focused on work. For years it's been about making money... lots of money... something he does very well. He also loves Asia and Eastern religions, not that he believes any of them or any religion at all for that matter. He used to be incredibly foul-mouthed around me, baiting me... yeah, it worked. But when my dad started to get sick, he was the one who made sure dad had everything he needed. When dad had the bad stroke, he was the one who convinced me to come and I did and it made a big difference for dad and for me. He was the one who handled all of my dad's finances after his death, selling seven or eight properties, making sure we all got what dad wanted us to have. He even reserved a few grand and whenever something special comes along, takes us all out to dinner on dad's dime. When we moved here after 25 years overseas, he was the one who lined up all kinds of help for us to fix up our house. He has hosted the family dinners in his huge, beautiful, historic home. And just a few weeks ago, he moved a woman, suffering with brain cancer, and her son into his home. She has nothing left and needed a place to live - they are friends - he has a big house. That's how he recounts his decision. Such amazing generosity. She knows that if it comes down to it, she can die there. She hopes to be healed but it's not looking very promising. In the meantime, she and her 16 year old son live in a beautiful home with absolutely everything they need. I am so proud of my complex brother, who still has an amazing capacity for driving me crazy!