My 82 year-old Big Brother solicits my input on, as far as I can tell, nearly everything he does. “What do you think of ___?” It’s been on medical procedures (🤷♂️ all I can do is couch it as “lay opinion”), on dealing with his kids, anything. Today he said one of our other brothers invited him to visit. “It’s 8 hrs each way. What do you think?” It tickled me.
To check with me on matters large and small makes me feel warm inside, like I am really valued. I never tell him what to do and only yelled at him twice but I have been firm sometimes with my non-advice advice ("I'm going to drive 32 hours to Boise, Idaho." "Okay, I'll come to your funeral." (He decided if he goes to fly. 😉)) and he seems to get a kick out of it when I put my foot down. "I knew you were going to say that!", he'll say. He’s always had to be the bad cop as a father. It's a relief to be able to tell someone, “I would do it but my little brother would get mad at me."😂 He knows that whatever my input it is from a place where it is only his best interests that are my touchstone. "You're my only and last client", I tell him. It’s touching and makes me proud that he trusts me.
