Two brothers

Reproduced from the Spring 2013 edition of Plentiful Redemption

By Rev. Andrew Costello, C.Ss.R.

Mom and Dad had died years ago. They had 2 sons, Jack and Jim, born 5 years apart.

Jack, the younger brother, started to have questions about his parents after he hit 55 years of age. Don’t we all?

One question that itched him was: “Did Dad really want to do the job he did all his life?”

Jack wondered about that. He remembered the Saturday (he was about 11 at the time) when his dad told him he wanted to quit his job and go into business for himself. He said he had this neat idea.

At that, Mom, who was in the kitchen listening, came out into the living room and said, “No way!”

Jack remembered her wiping her hands in her apron while saying this and then pointing her index finger right at him.

And when she said, “No way!” he’d say, “Okay!” He always did. He was that way with Mom. And “No way” rhymes with “Okay,” but not always inwardly.

So Jack’s questions were, “Did he resent that? Did he ever feel happy about what he did with his life, besides having two sons and the same wife all his life?”

At work, at lunch, with buddies, Jack began asking different guys about their parents. He wondered, “Does everyone after 55 have questions they would like to ask their mom and dad? Sometimes it’s too late. Bummer!”

Some friends said, “Never thought about that!” Some friends said to Jack, “Thanks for asking that. My mom and dad are still living, so I’d love to have a good conversation with them about some stuff.”

One guy asked, “Do you have any brothers and sisters? Why don’t you talk to them?”

That hit Jack. He hadn’t really talked to or visited his brother Jim in 12 years. He called up Jim. He lived on the other side of the country. They had a great conversation. They found out that they both had questions, especially about their parents. Both said, “We should do this more often.” They did. Jack also asked, “How about I visit you this summer?” Jim said, “Great!”

And they did. And each had some answers to each other’s questions; and some answers had gone with their parents to the grave. Life. Bummer!

To read more of Fr. Andy’s work and some homilies, visit his blog at http://reflectbay.blogspot.com.