Thicker than Thieves

Last night my darling wife went out and left our two sons in my care for the evening. We went for a walk, then back home for the nightly ritual of bath, brush and bedtime stories. As the three of us sat and read I was prepared to have both boys lie down in the big bed with me until they were asleep. Backstory is that while our 6YO will go to sleep all on his own, the 3YO still needs to have someone lay with him until he is asleep. Well, it came time to turn off the lights and lie down when my 6YO says that he will lay down with the 3YO in his bed to help him get to sleep. I was skeptical that this would work, but figured why not give it a go. Well, lo and behold it did work. I was amazed not only at the compassion and understanding exibited by 6YO, but also the fact that the 3YO has such a close bond with his brother that he makes him feel as safe as if he is with Mom or Dad. I have said it before in the blog, and I may repeat myself but there are few things that give me greater joy than to see my sons developing a lifelong friendship. It gives me a warm feeling deep in my soul that no matter what happens to them in life they will have each other a friends as well a brothers. That is but one of my hopes for them - that they become thicker than thieves.