# My Brother Sean (More Different Than Many)



## Rage2Fury (Sep 21, 2003)

My brother Sean is two years younger than I; me being 15 and he being 13.


Sometimes I dislike him because he has it easier, but I know why.  I know why he gets more than me.  I know why he gets treated somewhat better than I.  It's because he has a "disability" and my parents are just trying to live with it.


It's really hard having a brother that is mentally challenged.  Sometimes I blame myself, even though I know it is not my fault.  Still, it could be something I have done.  I just feel that somewhere along the line I did something wrong that made him the way he is.


We used to have so much fun together as children and I never thought for a second that he was "different."  I always thought that we were just brothers having fun with each other.  It is so good always having somebody there to play with.  We would play soldiers, hide and go seek, tag, build blocks and the list goes on.  I mean we grew up together.  I guess one day I just realized that he was "different."  It had been bothering me that he was still playing with what I would call "baby toys" and not learning as fast as I was in school.  Of course, he was and is two years younger than me, but he just seemed to stop getting older.  While I would go off and run the neighborhood with my friends he would try to follow me.  I would send him home because I was embarassed to be seen with him.  For, he could not speak right, or act right and almost never listened.  To this day he still does these things, but not to the same extent.


The biggest thing for me is that I cannot believe that I, being his brother called him names and yelled at him.  You would think that other kids would do that and they did, but I think it makes a bigger impact on a person coming from someone they really love.  Sometimes I think he cried because he thought I hated him.  I regret doing those things because I see now that he looked up to me.  He just made me so mad and still does, except (with all the screaming and yelling and fighting) we have a new brother.  It is just hard sometimes.  But, now I cry for the way I have treated him.  I know it was cruel.  So let it be known that from now on I will be a much better brother and person to him.  I know he has troubles with many things and I will always try and help.  For, his life should be filled with happiness.  Although he has problems, he has over come most of them on his own.  Also, he has a girlfriend and I don't.  For that I envy him, yet I am happy.  All this and I Love You Sean is all that can be said for now.


Alas!  He has just walked in and seems like a very happy person.  So I am glad to have him as my brother.  I am not sure anybody could take his place...


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## CrimsonDawn85 (Sep 21, 2003)

Couple minor problems here.  But that's it.


1.  *Me being 15 and he being 13.*  This is a sentence fragment.

2.  *I know why he gets treated some what better than I. * Some what is actually somewhat.

3.  *I just feel that somewhere along the line I did something wrong that med him the way he is.*  A little typo problem here.  Med should be made.

4.  *While I would go off and run the neighbourhood with my friends he would try to follow me.*  Neighbourhood is actually spelled neighborhood.  No u.

5.  *I would send him home because I was embaressed to be seen with him. * Embaressed is spelled embarrassed.

6.  *Fore, he could not speak right, or act right and almost never listened.*  The fore you are using actually means the front of something.  You want for which is use instead of because.

7.  *To this day he still does these things, but not to the smae extent.*  Another little typo.  Same not smae.

8.  *Fore, his life should be filled with happiness.* For not Fore.

9.  *All this and I Love You Sean is all that can me said for now.*  I believe you meant BE not ME.


This was very moving.  I'm glad you realized what you were doing wrong and I hope everything turns out for the best.


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## Rage2Fury (Sep 21, 2003)

See that little thing called reading over always comes back to haunt me.  I said I owuld do it so I will start re-reading everything.  I am glad I realized too. I just hope it isn't too late.  Thank-You for correcting my spelling mistakes.


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## CrimsonDawn85 (Sep 21, 2003)

I've found that people are very forgiving.  Just don't repeat your mistake's and try hard to gain back their love/respect and everything turns out good in the end.  And your welcome for picking out your spelling mistakes.  Just return the favor sometime.  I hate proof reading and I never do it.


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## Rage2Fury (Sep 21, 2003)

I understand.  And I will return the favor.


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## Kimberly Bird (Sep 28, 2003)

Rage2Fury

I'm glad to see you are accepting him.  It could be that your parents are more tolerant of him because he has a disability, but I also think it has to do with learning.  Parents learn along with their children.  What we believed was important with one, sometimes we become calmer by the time the second one starts growing older.  And every child is different and needs different handling.

My middle daughter is forever saying I let the the youngest and the oldest get away with everything.  Now my oldest is working 2 jobs to help pay for her schooling next year, and pretty well does what she wants within reason.  A young adult, and so I treat her as one.  Now my middle daughter is very precious to me.  She knows a lot of older people.  She says I interfere because I go out of my way to meet her friends and check out the scenes.  I'm not interferring, just establishing a link.  And my youngest, is volitile and full of energy.  They lost their grandmother last fall, and she also lost a friend to menegitis.  So when she has angry outbursts, I have a tendency to take her aside, go for a cruise and crank up the tunes.

It's nice to see you are thinking about your younger brother.  As you get older, it does get easier.  And you will have a friend for life.   
Personally, I can't wait for the day that I can sit down with my girls together at a cafe and not hear the crude remarks directed at each other.

Kimberly


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## Rage2Fury (Sep 28, 2003)

Thank-you for that Kimberly!


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## Sir Joel of Cardwell (Sep 29, 2003)

Neighborhood is actually spelt Neighbourhood is civilised countries...  :twisted: 

Just a thought...


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## Rage2Fury (Oct 4, 2003)

So I've heard... thought or naught!


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## Susan Sparks (Oct 11, 2003)

*What you wrote about your brother*

I was very touched by what you wrote.  You must be quite a sensitive young man.  I remember when I was young I made fun of a young man who rode my school bus who was disabled.  Later he died and I felt so awful.  What goes around does come back around sooner or later.  I am
mentally disabled myself, and have even been homeless because of it.  Compassion for others less fortunate than us is something that one never regrets.
Susan Sparks


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## Bad Craziness (Oct 24, 2003)

*Wow...*

I know how you feel. I have a younger sister who has a mental disability. She has aspergers syndrome, often known as the hidden syndrome because it is actually a chemical imbalance in the brain and is not evident if you were to meet her straight up.

Extreme patience is required under these circumstances and I think you and I have both grown more mature through our experiences. 

Lates


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## Rage2Fury (Oct 24, 2003)

Yes I believe you are right...  I try so hard with my brother too, and always try to be patient.  He has learned a lot though and I give him much credit dealing with what he does.  I am not sure I would be able too.


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## Penelope (Oct 25, 2003)

Steven, while reading this I got caught up in what you had written.  I found it incredibly adult and contemplative.  I didn't notice the mistakes simply because you touched my heart more than my mind.  Someone who writes well is capable of being reflective as to not only other people's actions but their own too.  Sincerity shines through in this item and it makes me like you all the more.  I could give you my own observations about people and their actions but I don't believe you need them.  Just realize that questioning and remarking on your own actions makes you more of a person than all those who remain silent and have guilty thoughts.


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## Rage2Fury (Oct 28, 2003)

Thank-you very much Pen.  I appreciate your comment very much.  It was all just inside of me and I had to get it out, because if I didn't I feared it would just make my life more stressful (something we all need more of "right"?!)  I had never written something about my brother or for him.  I do regret some of the things I have done and said, but I am also very glad that I have made improvements on my actions toward him.  I think we have a better relationship since I realized what I was truly doing, though it is not the greatest relationship it is a happier one.  Again thank-you for your thoughts on this...


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