A promise is defined as “a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen”
Full disclosure, I ran across the attached video a couple weeks prior and teared up thinking about the brother I lost to drugs. I could not remember if I had ever told him I loved him. Yet, my mind kept playing our disagreements over and over as if they were yesterday. Unfortunately, they were over 40 years ago, they were stupid disagreements and I had ignored him for over 30 years before he was found alone and dead.
I honestly don’t remember any promises with him I broke, but I am guessing those who break the promises never do. For whatever reason he still always looked up to me. Even after being asked by teachers, coaches, senior military, “why can’t you be like your brother?”
Verbally I could justify why I ignored him all those years, but in the big picture he was family, my brother…But having a social worker, someone I didn’t even know, describe funny things he did, what he liked, what he didn’t like, even assure me he was clean. That was my wake-up call. He knew more about my brother than I ever did.
It truly is my cross to bear, but when my eldest son found the same video and wrote the following I could not help but tear up again .
“Any given day I will happily argue/debate with my father on any given topic, It’s almost a tradition at this point. That said, one topic I will never touch is whether or not he was there when we need him, nor can I recall a single promise broken. I only hope I can be half as successful in this area. Fathers, do yourself and your family a favor and give this a watch.”
Until next blog, be Thankful and keep your promises.
