Caddies and Siblings

Last week when Dustin Johnson won the Masters with a -20 score, he had to caution his caddy on the 18th tee not to be teary. Dustin had to keep his composure as he was winning. His caddy was emotional because it was Dustin's younger brother Austin. Most pro golfers don't have that connection, but in 2013 Dustin's regular caddy couldn't make it to a tournament in Australia. He asked his brother if he would take over temporarily, and Austin was with him when he won that next tournament. The combo clicked, so from that time on, Austin has been with his brother. A caddy is with a pro golfer through good times and bad and is there for every moment of every decision. Dustin said later that it was an even greater win for him because he could share it with his brother.

Having a sibling that is close to you is a special feeling. I look in my own family and see examples of sisters who are beautiful pictures of bonding together: my cousins Martha Sue and sweet Carolyn, my sisters-in-law Patsy and Jerelene. And when I see sisters on Dr. Phil who are at such terrible odds, I think of the opposite picture that Martha Sue, Carolyn, Patsy and Jerri have presented.

My own relationship with my sister grew with time. There was five years difference in age, so I'm sure Tricia got tired of dragging me along with her. Once when I was five we went to see the awesomely dramatic, sure-fire Academy Award winner, "Lassie, Come Home." Remember I was five, so that's what I thought. And toward the end when Lassie was in trouble and might not be able to make it back to save Timmy, his family, and the entire town, I started to cry. It was going to be awful. But Lassie saved the day, so I wiped my tears away with my cotton pinafore dress--which was almost soaked because I was so worried. As we left the movie theater, every adult stopped and asked if everything was all right. Tricia had to explain a dozen times that everything was all right, I was not hurt, I was not lost, I was just not able to be much of a movie critic. Sisters are expected to do that kind of thing.

She was remarkable in many ways. When the family had moved to San Antonio, she took over as director of the pre-school at their church. She was organized, colorful, clever, but above all, she wanted the youngsters to know that success was built on following rules and keeping order. She drilled that into the little kiddies. Example: they were to pick up toys and puzzles and have the room tidy before the juice and crackers cart got to their room. One morning it was time for the cart, and someone had decided that picking up puzzles was for losers, so they left them on the floor. Tricia announced to them all, "There weren't be any juice and crackers until whoever left out the puzzles puts them up." The room was quiet. Seconds passed. A minute came. The creaking cart was in the hallway. Tricia did not move from her chair.  Finally, a four year old who knew Tricia would be true to her word, stood up, threw his hands to the heavens and cried,"Somebody do something! She means what she says!"

As we aged, we began to talk on the phone almost every day no matter the miles that separated us. When I moved, it was the first time we had been in the same city since 1960. At the Mall every Friday when we met, we laughed our way through the stores and never failed to get a response from someone, "You two must be sisters." I miss her every day and hate the cancer that took her four years ago.

In the time of the Texas Revolution four brothers worked tirelessly to help keep Texans free. They were the Flores brothers: Salvador, Manuel, Jose, and Nepomaceno. They were all brothers-in-law to Captain Juan Seguin who was a well-known fighter, but the story of the Flores brothers is seldom told. It was a difficult time because the loyalty of those who lived in early Texas was sometimes questioned even though they had been here longer than the settlers who were coming. The  brothers went on scouting patrols, recruited other Tejanos to join the cause, fought with Jim Bowie and Deaf Smith before the Alamo, and were protecting the southeast part below San Antonio as the Alamo came down. They went against amazing odds to prevent bands of Mexican cavalry from joining and attacking  vulnerable positions . Gen. Sam Houston trusted them to protect an area near the battle of San Jacinto to keep some of Santa Anna's troops from joining and attacking him in a weak spot. When the fighting was over and Gen. Houston's troops had won the victory for Texas, they came back home and never talked of their heroic actions. They were true Tejanos.

Brothers and sisters show us unconditional love and sometimes perform the jobs that no one else can do. They are brave when bravery is needed, but they are forgiving when there are blots on our records.  If you have a sibling, hold him/her close, and if not cherish even the smallest memory.