Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

I've just returned from a week at the cabin with our younger daughter, her husband and two sons. The one year old awoke before dawn every day, and the four year old attempted to poke and tease and get his baby brother into trouble, but mostly succeeded in getting lectures and time outs for himself. They are both adorable, but the sibling rivalry has caused a lot of hitting, biting, poking, screaming and crying. I wanted to help but wisely left it up to their parents. It did jog my memory of being the older of two and being jealous, angry and disgusted with my little brother. I don't think I hit, but who knows. I certainly got spanked with my mother's hair brush and was threatened with my father's belt. I was no angel. I definitely remember getting into trouble by cutting the little neighbor girl's hair off almost to the scalp on one side, climbing on everything and falling and sometimes ending up in the emergency room. So I recognize the naked mischief in my four year old grandson's eyes, but then, everything about my grandchildren reminds me they are complex, dark and light, churning with emotions. It's a jungle in our minds, even when we are tiny. I assume my daughter and son-in-law will mostly solve this conflict over time, but probably not entirely, from what I know. My older daughter thought I didn't curb her older brother well enough. And she may have been right. Siblings are jealous, possessive, and greedy for their parents' attention. I wouldn't miss out on my brother for the world, and the six years since his death hasn't made the loss any less, but our relationship was one of love despite lack of compatiblity, similar interests and gender. These little boys lives are emeshed for eternity, and their parents cannot free them from twists and turns of living and loving.