Today my brother is arriving to spend a week visiting. It’s been three years since hugging him. God has blessed me so much by providing this time together for us. We’ve been separated by many states, many miles, since we were children, and what Satan tried to sever has only grown stronger. The bond between us is a God gift woven with love.
When we’re together, we laugh a lot. If you have someone in your life you spend quality time laughing with, hold them tight to your heart. They are precious. If you feel comfortable laughing, shedding a tear, or just being quiet in their presence, you have a relationship blessed by the Lord. You can share your deepest thoughts without fear of rejection. These are your true family and friends.
As I age, I realize there are many friends in my life, but only a few are friends like that. Like my brother. We will never be closer than the distance between Texas and Ohio, but that distance is only logistics. When he leaves, he takes a piece of my heart and I retain a piece of his. We will always be “heart close.” I’m grateful for being able to call him whenever I want to hear his voice. And the sharing and laughter picks up right where we left it.
As an author, I try to instill these same bonds into the hearts of my characters, for only then are they more than words on paper. Love is eternal.
Carol Ann Erhardt, Author 