The Brother Bond

 

I've been having difficulty in finding my words to keep writing the last couple of months.  Some of that might be the divide within the autism community lately.  Some of it might be that Charlie is getting older and I'm very aware of his privacy and his own wants for his life.  Maybe that doesn't include this blog.  It's something we're being thoughtful over. 

But one thing that has been on my mind lately are these two boys and their relationship with one another.

It's ever evolving. 

These two couldn't be further from opposite.  Twins, yes, but there are very few things that are the same about them.  Their personalities are completely different, their likes and dislikes are polar opposites, even their sense of humor differs.  At age 9 they are still trying to figure each other out.  Autism can do that, throw in twists and turns and the unexpected.  And for a 9 year old boy it can be difficult to understand.  Charlie was diagnosed with autism at age 4.  He and his twin brother Christian have been trying to navigate their relationship with one another their whole lives.  Being twins you'd think it would be easy, but they've known from an early age that not everything in life comes easily.  

Christian works hard daily to understand how and why Charlie does certain things.  It can be confusing for him.  And frustrating at times.  Their relationship is tumultuous most days, intense and a little wild.  But every once in awhile we get these little glimpses of tenderness and inexplicable bond between them.  We know they love each other and care for one another.  They are just trying to figure out how their love for one another fits into their lives since each of them shows their love so incredibly different from the other.  We'll be here for them the entire way with hopes that their differences will someday bring them closer together.