Things are Often Not What They Seem

Older siblings should befriend the younger ones;

younger siblings should respect and love the older ones.

Siblings getting along well with one another

is a sign of filial piety,

of respecting parents and caring that they are happy.

Jason’s big brother, Patrick, had just received permission to go hiking with his friends on Lookout Mountain. When Jason heard he got all excited and wanted to go along with them. “Patrick, can I please come with you? Please, please, pleeease?”

Patrick looked down and said in his big brother voice, “No Jason, not up the mountain. This trail is much tougher than you’re used to. There’s more climbing on this one.”

Jason was hurt. He admired his brother and liked to do things with him. But lately, Patrick has been spending time with his friends, Alec and Heng. Jason was afraid Patrick was beginning to prefer his new friends to him. “You just don’t want me along!” he sputtered.

Patrick looked at Jason then at Alec and Heng who were close by waiting for him. They had quite a ways to go and needed to get going. He explained, “Jason there are some things you do with your friends, and some things I do with mine. This hike is one of them. Plus, it’s too dangerous for you. I have to go with the guys now. See you later.”

Jason became even more upset. And embarrassed! His older brother, in front of his friends, had just told him he wasn’t good enough to go on the hike! But Patrick and his friends were only a few years older. How could it be okay for them, but dangerous for Jason?

Dejected, Jason watched the three go off. Watching them walk down the road laughing together, he wondered if they were laughing at him. Then he had an idea. He’d follow them and when they turned around to come back, he’d pop out from behind a tree or a rock and surprise them. Then they’d see he was good enough to go along wherever they went.

Jason hurried to follow them. The walking wasn’t hard at all. He’s been on the path before with Patrick and knew the way well. Then he saw them take a trail near the big rock. So this is where they were going. This was so great!

He could follow them easily. There was nothing dangerous about this trail! After several minutes, he saw a stream with a fallen tree trunk going from bank to bank. He ran across it. Now he was feeling really confident. He could hear Patrick and the others ahead of him so he knew he was keeping up.

He went around a bend and saw a stone ledge up ahead. It was steeper than any he had climbed before, but he was sure he could do it. He began to climb and realized it was actually trickier than it looked. There were loose stones all along the way. Jason put his hand up to hold onto the ledge and had to stretch out to put his foot onto the next outcropping. But some of the stones were loose and they shifted under him. He couldn’t hold on. As he fell he cried out. Luckily, he landed on some low bushes and they cushioned his fall. But he felt a sharp pain. It was his foot.

Then he heard a voice, “Jason is that you? Are you okay?” It was Patrick calling down to him.

Jason, feeling a bit breathless and in pain, managed to get out “I’m okay.”

Patrick quickly climbed down to him. Alec and Heng were right behind him. Patrick checked Jason’s arm and legs, but when he touched Jason’s foot, Jason gave a very loud, “Ow!”

“It doesn’t look broken, but you probably twisted it. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” Relieved that it was nothing serious, Patrick relaxed and with that angrily demanded, “Why did you follow us? I told you not to. What were you thinking? ”

Jason didn’t know what hurt the most: the pain, his embarrassment, or Patrick yelling at him. “I wanted to come with you! I thought you said it was too dangerous only because you didn’t want me around!” He tried to get up and the pain got much worse. “Ow! Patrick, I can’t walk!”

Patrick got over his anger as quickly as it had arisen. Actually, he was just worried that something terrible had happened to his brother. “It’s okay Jason, I’ll carry you home.” He turned to his friends and told them to go on without him. But they said they would come back with the two brothers. It was enough excitement for one day.

Alec said, “Take it from someone with an older brother, Jason. It’s hard to tell sometimes, but they’re usually looking out for us. And most of the time they know what they’re talking about. But, it can be really frustrating at times.” And with that he winked at Jason.

With Jason piggyback, Patrick started back down the trail. Jason looked at their house way in the distance and gulped. “Wow, it’s so far.”

Patrick said, “Don’t worry. We’ll make it just fine. The two of us together.”

With respect and love,

siblings can become our best friends.