Big Brothers

Minttu and big brother Niko

My friend Minna rang me this evening. We speak to each other almost every day. As it turned out, we were both feeling a little bit blue, so we did what we normally do when this happens. We asked each other about the highlight of the day.

Until that point I hadn't actually given it any thought. I was concentrating on all the things that were bothering me. But she had asked the question so I took a minute to think about my answer.

"Well actually, there were a few things, now I come to think about it," I said. "I had three books which I needed from the library. I'd expected that I'd have to order them in, but as it turned out all three were there on the shelves, which meant I could get on with a piece of coursework I am doing. In addition I finally managed to find some paperwork I'd been looking for, and also I finished a piece of work that's been bugging me for a while."

"Well that's quite a lot then", Minna said. She was right. But as I thought about it, there was more. Lucie was cooking pasta bolognese for dinner.  I had also bumped into a friend this afternoon in Somero whom I hadn't seen for a while and we'd arranged to go for coffee. Later in the evening my neighbour Anne also turned up out of the blue and brought candles and chocolate because she wanted to cheer me up. We ended up deciding to hold a coffee morning next week for some elderly people in the town, which should be fun. And I'd managed to do another five things on my list of things to do. So not a bad day, in fact.

Apart from those days when something serious happens, (and that's not often really), most days have plenty of good stuff in them - if you just remember to think about those things.

I have always wished that I had brothers and sisters, but particularly a big brother. In my dreams my "big brother" would have looked out for me and been there to lean on in good times and bad. Obviously I will never know what he would or wouldn't have been like. What's for sure though, is that if I spend the rest of my life wishing I had a big brother, I will spend every day disappointed, because I simply haven't got one. If, instead, I remember to concentrate on all the friends I have, and the children at home, having no siblings won't feel like much of an issue anymore.  

So in the end, despite its imperfections, today was a pretty good day, something I remembered thanks to talking to Minna. I am also happy that little Minttu will never have any concerns over not having a big brother...she has four of them...and as you can see from the picture, Niko, at least, will always be around with his faithful dog Benjy to make sure his little sister is ok.