The man I strive to be like

[lihpster]

You hear it all the time. People who worship celebrities and sports figures. "I wanna be like Mike." They dress like them, talk like them and act like them in an attempt to actually be them. Not me.

My example is closer to home. My brother, Doug, would have been 61 this week. Leukemia took him 10 years ago, come August. He played harder than anyone I've ever known and he worked even harder. He caused harm to no man and met most with a pleasant smile. He almost invariably did the right thing.

I never laughed as much with anybody else as I did with him. We just got each other's humor. If I had something serious to talk to him about, we would go in his garage and sit on upside down 5 gal. buckets. Many a time I left his house with a sore butt and a much clearer mindset.

I miss him every day and I strive to be like him. Most days I fail miserably. But I keep trying. I hope I can be half the man he was.

So, this evening, if you're not too busy, I ask that you raise a glass to one of the finest men I ever knew. A cup of joe is fine, too, he loved his coffee.

RIP Doug. I'll be waiting for our next bucket talk.

 

[walter o]

In this world people like DOUGH are few &far between .You are very lucky to have had him in your life .From what you wrote HE was lucky to have you in his.

 

[Rustyt1953]

A touching tribute. I am hoisting a proper pint in honor of Doug as I type this.

I lost my brother, Dave, a little over four years ago to liver and colon cancers.

I don't have to try hard to be like him as we both had nearly identical wiring harnesses. Near twins separated by six years. He was one of the quickest wits I have ever encountered. We were golf partners in a beer league. While our opponents were laughing we would quietly putt out. I truly miss him.

 

[lihpster]

Rusty, I hope Dave liked coffee. It's a little early for a drink and I'm not fond of tea. Later tonight I will have something more appropriate. And thank you.

 

[walkin jack]

Dad rarely sat me down and said, "this is how you..." but I learned most of what I know about how to do things, how to live, and how to get the best out of life, just by living in his house for 18 years.

.I'm not as smart as he was.
.I didn't inherit his easy going personality
.I have had to work ( without total success) to manage the every day minutia in life as well as he could.
.I didn't inherit his mechanical abilities to any meaningful degree.

But I think I turned out to be a much better man for having such a great role model. He set the bar pretty high. I think I'm a better man for having tried to reach it even though I fell short of the mark.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Rusty, I hope Dave liked coffee. It's a little early for a drink and I'm not fond of tea. Later tonight I will have something more appropriate. And thank you.

I fully understand. My brother and I shared another trait in that our livers couldn't tell time.

 

[brucev]

People come. People go. Brothers are forever. My heart goes out to you as you live with the death of your brother. Ten years come August comes and then 20 years and more. April 20th was 19 years since my identical-twin brother died of Esophageal cancer. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[lihpster]

Bruce, me and Doug were close, but not identical twins. That's gotta be rough. Wishing you peace. They're not truly gone as long as we remember them.

 

[Kenna]

Ill raise a glass later today to Brothers that passed. God Bless

 

[DixieRanger]

Threads as this are what i wait for. Got one too but not now. Gun stuff is great but pale in comparison. As said " their not really gone as long as we remember". Needed this today. Thank you all...

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[Tom S.]

In many ways, you are better off for at least you had the joy of knowing him and memories to keep him alive in your heart. I lost my brother before I was even born. SIDs or 'crib death' as it was called back then took him two years before I was born. So I never knew him and have spent a lifetime without a brother. I say a prayer for him every night and wonder what he would have been like.

 

[Walkin Horse]

You don’t have to wait for the bucket talk. I’ve dated a therapist who I’ve had some deep talks with. My mother died when I was young and at the time I didn’t think we had a good relationship. Now I see she was my mother and not my friend. I harbored some resentment for her leaving me.
So now I have talks with my mother and it is unbelievable how I’ve changed my ideas. I have learned that talking to a person living or dead can change a lot of things going on in your mind.
So pull up a bucket and have a good long talk.

 

[Dbstillings]

Here's to family and good friends, and may all the dearly departed rest in peace and may we be better off for knowing them. [emoji482]

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[SMSgt]

I'm not dying to have a drink, and I don't want you guys dying to have me have a drink either.

 

[30-30remchester]

My father-in-law was the man I most admired. He has been gone since 1986 yet I often ask myself," would dad approve" when I about to do something. He went to war at 17 and flew the ball of a B-17 for 51 missions. Came home, put that world behind, got a fair job, married, raised 3 kids, built his own house, plumbing, foundation, roof, doors, windows, heating system, electrical wiring by himself. If that wasn't enough, he built his furniture from the scrap lumber. Quiet humble man who went to work every day, never bought anything for himself, came home and stayed home with the family. No bar hopping, womanizing, or swearing. I sometimes forget how much we miss him.

 

[Rudi]

You were lucky to have such a brother. I swing my Martini high for him.

 

[Heinz]

lhipster, I just poured a 14-ounce coffee in honor of your brother. I lost mine about 20 years back.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I just finished hoisting my fourth pint to Dave and Doug.

The night is still young.

 

[lihpster]

Had to wash a rocks glass, but it's now got a nice amount of whisky in it. To Dave, Doug and all those who have moved on down the trail, find a good place to pitch the tent and we'll be along when we can. Til then, Cheers!

 

[Rustyt1953]

My brother had a daughter from his first marriage. His second wife had two sons that he formally adopted. I thought of this:

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BjO1F6oCab8[/ame]