A Brother's Gift: A Tale of Resentment and Redemption

A gift of a lifetime

He once hated his brother for who he was...how did that hatred turn to a lifetime of gratitude?

He had been yelling at his younger brother Joe for a while now, and the only response he got in return was laughter, which had irked him all the more.

It had become a habit. He would hit him and yell at him whenever their parents were out. And, he would get the same old reaction–a sweet smile or a little burst of laughter.

He hated Joe, who according to him was weird, stupid and an overall embarrassment to the family. He didn’t understand why mom and dad loved him so much. As time passed, he grew apart from his family. But he couldn’t stay away forever. One day, almost 25 years later he found himself in the hospital, with his mom and dad sitting by his bedside.

His eyes stung as they tried to adjust to the bright lights in the room. He glanced at his mom, who from the looks of it, had been crying for a while. His dad smiled and passed him a note that Joe had left him. It read, “Brother, I am leaving my eyes for you. I hope you see the world the way I did.”

He stared blankly at the white wall as memories of his autistic brother smiling at him filled his mind.

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