Today, is my younger brother Anthony's birthday, my lone sibling. It doesn't matter that we are now both firmly in the age category of seniors, he will always be my little brother.
I've read that as siblings age, bonding can actually make a difference in their well being. According to researchers, their spirits are higher.
Tony as he prefers to be called now is younger than myself by 3 years, which will always make him my younger brother. He lives in NJ and while we didn't celebrate in person, as years ago, we talk today as we do quite often. As the remaining family members on our side of the family, it's important to keep in contact, even when we can't do so in person.
The research also revealed that the supportive benefits of these relationships weren't dependent on how often siblings interacted. What mattered most was just their existence and availability.
We talked about how many years ago, a birthday was the cause for extended family to gather and celebrate. Back then, they didn't live great distances apart as well. The top half of the above collage shows Anthony (Tony) the birthday boy in the center. Our oldest cousin is on the left and that's me on the right. The bottom part of the collage shows our maternal grandparents, aunt and uncle, and assorted cousins, our mother on the right and the photographer was our father (not shown). Sadly, all the adults in the photo are long deceased.
The relationship between siblings has been described as life's longest one and, for many, lasts longer than the bond with parents and often grows stronger when both parents are gone. Personally speaking, this has been the case with my brother and myself.
These images show another birthday celebration in our home years later. That sure was a large birthday cake being enjoyed by my family of four and most likely for several days. My brother's birthday sometimes coincided with the Easter holiday, but both events were always celebrated.
After my mother's passing, I sadly learned that she had several miscarriages before the birth of my brother. These were never mentioned. Learning this bit of undisclosed family history later in life made me even more thankful for my sibling. It's especially wonderful to wish him all the best on his Special Day and always — even if from a distance.
Hopefully, some fellow bloggers also have the same opportunity with their families; Unlike myself, Grenville was an only child.
🎊 Happy 🎂 Birthday, Tony 🎉
We talked about how many years ago, a birthday was the cause for extended family to gather and celebrate. Back then, they didn't live great distances apart as well. 
24 comments:
Lovely photos...wonderful memories...happy times then and now. :)
I'm the sole survivor of my family unit...so cherish every special moment...because ever moment is special and worth cherishing. :)
A shout out Happy birthday to your brother Tony!
Your brother and you were cute kids! I love to see photos from the Way Back machine. Your mother looks as if she could be one of my favorite vlogger's mom. I guess we all have a doppelgänger. Happy Birthday to Tony 🎈
I guess there is always, or almost always, a sibling bond. Sue is very close to one sister but the other is self isolating and not in a covid sense. I was an only. It’s probably for the best as another mouth would have stretched meagre resources.
I love everything about this post! Still celebrating birthdays together even when you are miles apart.
The photos are priceless!
Such fun photos to have and cherish. You guys were adorable!
Sweet photos. Happy birthday to your brother!
It's great to see you had a loving relationship both growing up and now...what a plus for both of you!
I love seeing these wonderful photos! Big happy birthday greetings to your brother. This whole post makes me smile (especially as an only child and missing that!)
my brother is my only sibling, he is 4 years younger than i am, I always wanted a sister. my cousin was like a sister and we had 8 of us cousins and all lived close enough to see each other often. almost like having siblings but not the same
Nice old black and white photos of your family. I don't have any brothers but have two sisters both younger than me. Happy birthday wishes to your brother. Have a wonderful week.
You're fortunate to have a brother, with whom you can talk and share memories. The older we get, the more precious our relatives become.
I'm an only "child", which can definitely be lonely. We used to have a huge family with many relatives in New Jersey. Unfortunately everyone is deceased now, except for my cousins. My last remaining uncle died last December at age ninety-one.
I enjoyed seeing your photos.
Love, love love! These photos and the sweet memories they invoke. Happy birthday to your "baby brother" yesterday! Today is my little big sister's birthday. I call her my little big sister because she is littler than I am, but she is my big sister by 4 1/2 yrs! We will actually get together on Friday to celebrate here at our house. She lives almost 2 hours away, so it is always a treat when we can get together. It is also her hubby's birthday today! They share the same date, but 2 yrs. apart. So we celebrate them both. Thank you for the interesting research about siblings, etc. I agree that we do seem to draw closer in many ways after the passing of our parents. We have one older living brother, who lives in NC., and one older deceased brother...who was the oldest. Sadly he died from leukemia in 2019. I love all the B&W photos. Very precious memories. Thank you for sharing.
How nice to have a brother! My only brother passed away when he was 3 (before I was born) but that loss is felt deeply. I had one additional sibling, a sister nine years older than me... And, now she is gone. Well, I didn't mean to put a damper on tony's birthday. I know you know how fortunate you are!
You are so lucky to have a sibling you've become closer to over the years. That is not always the case I can assure you. Happy birthday to your baby brother! Love the photos!! :)
Lovely to see such beautiful old photos. Family memories are so special. Hope your brother had a good birthday. B x
Happy Birthday Tony. It's true, my brother and I seemed to get closer as we got older. There was only us, so now I'm by myself. You are lucky to still have a brother alive. Enjoy him. Hugs, Edna B.
It is good that you still keep in touch with your brother. Happy birthday, Tony. Best wishes from Hawaii.
Happy Birthday to your brother. Enjoyed the photos and your whole post.
What a sweet post Dorothy! The information about staying close to siblings was very interesting. And I learned a long time ago that siblings are the closest relatives we can have -- sharing the exact genes! I always think that bit of trivia is so interesting because my siblings and I are so different from each other. Bill says the same thing -- and indeed the same is true about our four children. Maybe we are just a weird family. However, my remaining sister and I have also gotten closer as we age and especially since we have lost our two other siblings.
I have one older brother, he's adopted like myself. We are completely different, but we get along okay and speak on the phone quite a bit, especially since our mother died.
Happy belated birthday to you brother. Its so fun seeing photos of you as a bit younger lady too Dorothy. Hope you're having a good week so far. Hugs-Erika
Good that you get on with him.
I live far from my family. And I am not on speaking terms with either of my sisters.
Unfortunately I lost my brother back in 2009. He lived in London so I didn't see him very often but we did get closer on every visit. Bill is an only child too.
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