...the terrifying nature of alien medicine.
Here's a quick snippet from my next book:
“We don’t have a doc on station. Well, not a human one, and trust me, you don’t want a Kigvan doctor. Dremikians might be ok, but, no, you probably don’t want to deal with them either. They have funny opinions about exploratory surgery.”
“Uh…I just have a headache.”
“Exactly."
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
To My Eldest Son
Dear E:
I know you’re mad at me right now. You are convinced that your life is miserably unfair because I ask you to help take care of your younger brother. Why should you have to make his cereal, or help him tie his shoes, or patiently answer his incessant questions? It’s not like he ever does those things for you!
Here’s a tip: it’s only going to get worse. In a few short (too short, if you ask me) years you’ll be asked to drive your younger brother to soccer practice, pick him up from school, and help him navigate the corridors of high school. You’ll be a senior by then, full of self-importance and a wealth of 18 year old knowledge. He’ll be the pimply little snot that you won’t want to be seen with. How is it fair that you’ll have to do so much for him and he’ll never have to do the same for you?
But you see, son, life isn’t an equal exchange of goods and services. Your little brother might never have to drive you to practice or show you around school. But, he will always look up to you. When he and his friends are sitting around trading stories of daring-do, every stunt you ever pulled will be gleefully retold. He will spend his life trying to “do it better than he did” or “not screw that up as badly as HE did”. You are, and always will be, a standard he sets his life by.
You know what’s more unfair than having to take care of your younger brother? Not having a little brother. There are some people who never have to protect a sibling from bullies. They never get a chance to teach someone how to shoot hoops or evade Mom’s watchful presence. Worse, they don’t have a built-in fan club.
Sadly, there are also people in this world who had little brothers and then lost them. I’m one of those. Your uncle and I fought incessantly and I uttered the same complaints you’re now throwing at me. Still, I miss him so much it physically hurts. We’ll never get to tease each other again. We’ll never again get to share a laugh about that one time we used kudzu vines to swing like Robin Hood from the trees. (Don’t you dare try that, young man!) Much as I hated having to send my little brother money for a car payment, or bail, I’d do it again in a heart-beat if only I had a chance.
As bad as the constant, clinging, presence of your brother might seem right now, it is far better than the alternative. There might come a day when he stops talking to you. He might no longer feel like he can share his hurts or his cares. He might forget that he is not alone in this world. One, horrible, day he might take that childhood taunt, “Leave me alone!”, and make it reality. That will be the worst day of your life.
So, my grumpy eldest child, try not to be too sad that part of your life is spent taking care of your little brother. The love he gives you in return is the greatest return on investment you’ll ever get. Sibling-hood may seem unfair now, but, trust me: You’re one of the lucky ones.
-Love,
Mom
I know you’re mad at me right now. You are convinced that your life is miserably unfair because I ask you to help take care of your younger brother. Why should you have to make his cereal, or help him tie his shoes, or patiently answer his incessant questions? It’s not like he ever does those things for you!
Here’s a tip: it’s only going to get worse. In a few short (too short, if you ask me) years you’ll be asked to drive your younger brother to soccer practice, pick him up from school, and help him navigate the corridors of high school. You’ll be a senior by then, full of self-importance and a wealth of 18 year old knowledge. He’ll be the pimply little snot that you won’t want to be seen with. How is it fair that you’ll have to do so much for him and he’ll never have to do the same for you?
But you see, son, life isn’t an equal exchange of goods and services. Your little brother might never have to drive you to practice or show you around school. But, he will always look up to you. When he and his friends are sitting around trading stories of daring-do, every stunt you ever pulled will be gleefully retold. He will spend his life trying to “do it better than he did” or “not screw that up as badly as HE did”. You are, and always will be, a standard he sets his life by.
You know what’s more unfair than having to take care of your younger brother? Not having a little brother. There are some people who never have to protect a sibling from bullies. They never get a chance to teach someone how to shoot hoops or evade Mom’s watchful presence. Worse, they don’t have a built-in fan club.
Sadly, there are also people in this world who had little brothers and then lost them. I’m one of those. Your uncle and I fought incessantly and I uttered the same complaints you’re now throwing at me. Still, I miss him so much it physically hurts. We’ll never get to tease each other again. We’ll never again get to share a laugh about that one time we used kudzu vines to swing like Robin Hood from the trees. (Don’t you dare try that, young man!) Much as I hated having to send my little brother money for a car payment, or bail, I’d do it again in a heart-beat if only I had a chance.
As bad as the constant, clinging, presence of your brother might seem right now, it is far better than the alternative. There might come a day when he stops talking to you. He might no longer feel like he can share his hurts or his cares. He might forget that he is not alone in this world. One, horrible, day he might take that childhood taunt, “Leave me alone!”, and make it reality. That will be the worst day of your life.
So, my grumpy eldest child, try not to be too sad that part of your life is spent taking care of your little brother. The love he gives you in return is the greatest return on investment you’ll ever get. Sibling-hood may seem unfair now, but, trust me: You’re one of the lucky ones.
-Love,
Mom
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