Hmmm. Brothers, uggh part deux!

Ok, I emailed my brother, in hopes of being the mature, older sister...last Monday and that little bugger still hasn't emailed me back. I have to say I am feeling very ambivalent about him more and more. My mom and I were talking today and she was telling me a story about his in laws not treating him very nicely. I couldn't divulge to my mom why I am mad or even that I was mad at my brother, who is named Michael by the way because it would ruin her surprise that were are planning. I did say.."Well, Michael can be very difficult, maybe his inlaws are just over trying with him" That is how I feel...done with trying. When I look at others around me and there relationships with their siblings, I am envious of that. I have a close relationship with my sister but I really feel like my brother and I have no relationship at all. I am sure the thing that is bothering me most is that I have no control over how he is acting. I want him to email me and say.."Yes, I was wrong. I am sorry" You know where will freeze over before I ever hear those words from him. I guess I want to know how he could be so self centered and arrogant and mean spirited, we were raised better than that. My mom wants us so badly to all be close and really doesn't allow herself to think about us not being like that. But that is how it is.. my sister and I talk everyday, I hadn't talked to my brother since Christmas! I hope that Jeff and I enstill in Matthew and Caroline to respect and love family above everyone else.

Jeff and I went to Willow Creek in Barrington, Ill when we lived in Rolling Meadows, actually my parents could walk there from their house, anyways, one of the pastors did a talk about raising kids and he talked about when his kids would fight, he would say.."Look out there, outside of this house people are going to treat you badly, hurt you, beat you down with harse words and unfair circumstances. But in here, in our house, we treat each other with love and respect and care about each others well being." He then went on to say that the younger brother looked at his sister and said"Come on, lets go fight outside!" I love that and have already begun a 2 year old version with Matthew. When he is rough with Caroline, I will say, "No,no you need to protect Caroline, look how much she loves you." and its true, that little girl lights up, stops crying, when he is near her. She inately loves him..its how she was born to love her brother. So my question is How does that change? When do you go from being a little blob who loves another blob for no good reason( I mean the kid is constantly throwing pacies at her, shoving cereal down her throat and a finger in her nose!:) to no talking for months at a time for really no apparent reason! Boo hoo!

S