u/angry-grapefruit

We're full blood siblings, with parents who have been married to each other for 43 years. But I'm 14 years older than him.

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The parents that raised me are completely different from the ones that raised him.

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Economically and most importantly emotionally. My grandma raised me till I was six, then I was a latch key kid from 7 on. I biked myself to school and back, to swim class. I got a few summer day camps until it was too expensive. Asking for help usually ended with me being berated or compared to other kids, so I stopped.

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Then my brother was born, and I was the free babysitter. People used to think I was a reen mom because I'd take him to daycare on my way to high school on the bus. I asked for $40 for a volleyball sweatshirt and I heard about how much it was for months.

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After I moved out after college I'd see glimpses of their lives; my mom drove my brother to school every day and picked him up, got him Starbucks whenever he asked. Paid for his lifeguarding courses (dropped mine because money), instruments, trips. And what blew my mind was he went to them for advice, and they listened to him and helped him instead of berating him.

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I'm still the one they call to get help with things, setting up wifi, cutting the grass when they're away, help painting the walls. They're good people, they paid my student loans so I didn't need to pay the interest as I paid them back, a lump sum on my first mortgage, and a good chunk of my wedding. I think it's a generational thing, they show they care by giving money.

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I check in with them, bring my kids to visit but it's a nice superficial relationship. They don't know what I do for work, and don't really care (just that I'm not a doctor lol).

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I envy the close relationship my brother and his wife has with them. I envy the relationship and affection they show my kids. Just wish I had a bit of that too.