Thank goodness for older brothers

I had a lovely brother 14 years older than me but lost him to motor neurone 5 years ago. I also have a brother 4 years older than me who, as I'm disabled, would help up to a point if asked.

I lost my only younger brother to covid last November and it's been very hard. We didn't get on well growing up but had become much closer as we grew older. He was so supportive when my late husband died and was so happy when I met and married a widower.
Very sad now when I heard of family estrangement and Fallings out. Its so true we don't always know what we've got till it's gone.

i could do with an older brother. i have only one brother, younger than me, but he lives in florida - not very useful.
i do have a very good partner who does all my heavy work apart from gardening but unfortunately he's working seven days a week at the moment so he's got no free time.
so the jobs are mounting up as i can't afford to get someone in.

Lovely to read this and the joy it exudes. Enjoy his next visit, and don’t forget the fruit cake.

What a lovely post about your lovely brother travelsafar. I have three sisters and a brother who is two years younger than me. I am very close to two of my sisters.
However, my brother is amazing. He lost his 16 year old son, my gorgeous nephew, to leukemia after two years of horrendous treatment. A few years later my brother's wife collapsed and died in front of him aged 49. Last year he suffered a massive stroke and had a heart attack in the ambulance. Thankfully he has recovered well.
He is positive and upbeat and I have no idea how.

Brothers are wonderful I so miss mine

Ahhhh that's so lovely 'travelsafar'. Very heart-warming to read....Thank-you ?

I would have dearly loved to have a brother, yours sounds so lovely Travelsafar. Alas I was an "only" and sadly we have no children. I have a brother-in-law and his wife and though they would do anything to help they live a long distance away. DH has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and I'm finding it hard not having family nearby, not that I would want put upon them, but just for a bit of support and a face to face chat.
Sorry just having a difficult day.

Fabulous post - I do envy you as an only one and no relatives left and AC live far away, friends are great but not the same. I’m so happy for you and him and his fruit cake ?

Very jealous as I don't have siblings, only me

I only have a younger brother who is willing to help if asked and is good to my children and grandchildren.

I never had an older brother but I do have an older sister. Another godsend! whenI had cancer she was the one taking me to and from the hospital, when I was shielding she was the one who made sure I had everything I need. I do have children and they would always help if they could but 2 live too far away and the other 2 have very busy lives. so thank goodness for all sisters and brothers.

It's actually my younger brother that is always willing to give a hand- the older one usually has an excuse why not or won't be home anyway and certainly from March to October he is a distance aay doing warden duties for a caravan site!
I think I came in handy for him when in my teens seeing as most of his girlfriends were friends of mine (I say were because several didn't want to know me after dating him !) Sadly I never dated any of his mates because I was just seen as his kid sister so off the availability list!

What a lovely read Travelsafar.
I bet your brother loved spending time with you and helping out too.
Thank you for sharing.

I have an older brother, well he was born 3 years after me but he's now 70 and as I can't possibly be in my 70s he has now graduated to being my big brother.?
After my husband died he used to help with the heavy stuff like pruning trees and putting up curtain rails even though he lives 200miles away.
Now I have a new OH he devotes a lot of time to helping out his wife's 3 sisters.

Family can be such a blessing but we usually hear of family problems on here. It's refreshing to know so many of us appreciate our lovely relatives.

So nice to hear of your valued relationship with your older brother. I had a loving older brother too, but sadly lost him a few years ago. I have been affected by his loss & think of him every single day.

What a lovely post.

I second that! My older brother is one in a million. Never interfering, never judgemental but always there. I was a bit of a wild child (hard to imagine now, but the times were crazy then, as well as wonderful) and he always picked me up. And never told my parents who I adored but they were relentlessly good, and would never have understood how I could be so different to my sisters. Now he has dementia and is fading daily, and I am bereft.

I am lucky too. I have a lovely younger brother who despite being disabled and living 50 miles away would come and help me at the drop of a hat if I needed him. When he visits he does all those little jobs I can't manage and takes all my clutter to charity shops or landfill for me. I don't drive so even though it's tiring for him he will drive me wherever I want to go. He's neither young nor fully mobile, yet he does all this with a willing heart. In return I feed him up with roast dinners and crumbles - his favourites - and always send him home with goodies. So comforting to know he is there. Lucky me.

This warmed my heart, what a truly lovely caring brother you have. I bet he loved his fruit cake to.

Both my brothers are younger. Although we live fairly far apart - one two hours north of me, one two hours south - they would fight for me if necessary.

A couple of years ago my main dealership garage insisted that not only did I need the Advisory new timing belt doing, when I told them I couldn't afford it they tried to sell me a loan to cover the work.

When the younger of the two heard he was incensed - even before covid I only did 3,000-4,000 miles a year, no way was this work needed. He asked if I minded if he spoke to the garage on my behalf. Not in the slightest.

I have no idea what was said but the garage came and collected the car, did the bare mot and service without expensive non-essentials, and delivered it back, waiving the collection and delivery cost entirely.

Hurrah for brothers!

Thanks for sharing this travelsafar, you made my day

An older brother would have been nice, but I was the oldest and both siblings were sisters. However, the list of tasks your brother carried out, travelsafar, is just like the jobs my DS1 did for me two weeks ago. DS2 is planning to do likewise. Great compensation for not having a big brother.

It must be lovely to have an older brother. Someone extra to lean on. A comfort I think.

Yes, this is a lovely post. It is so nice to have supportive family.

I also have a wonderful brother. When my sister lost her husband last year to ALS, he came around to do gardening, some house maintenance, and he did all the labour to re-do a bathroom for my sister. He is generous with his time and attention. I live quite far away, so wasn't much physical help, but was always on the phone for her for emotional support.

Plus he's a lot of fun to be around, and I love his wife like a sister.