Joel’s Improved Personal Website
I just returned from a weekend visit to my brother Dave in Chicago. In the immediate run-up to the trip, I was seriously concerned that I wouldn’t be up to it. I seemed to have actually misplaced my sense of humour somewhere – my thoughts were so serious and brooding for so long, bent, as well, under a heavier-than-normal load at work, that I could not bring myself to smile or laugh at anything. So I wondered whether I might not just be a drag on everyone I came into contact with and wear myself out in the process.
I had forgotten, however, about the power of the Dueck Brotherhood.
The Dueck Brotherhood, consisting of Dave, Mark, and myself (and Steve, though his powers are still latent) has been split for such a long time, that I had forgotten the soul-warping power of our united presences. Our identities are such that any two together can keep each other fairly good company, but when all three (or four) are united both geographically and mentally, lives are changed, dreams and plans are hatched, laughter resounds, and stone hearts become warm and jellied once again.
We had such a good time, that leaving was sort of depressing for all of us, but driving in to work this morning I felt recharged and able to smile again. One of the most precious things about being a Christian is the strange and wonderful family feeling you have with each other – not just the idea of family but the actual feeling. Dave’s “family” has grown since he’s been in Chicago, and after meeting and getting to know them I felt as though mine had grown too, as if by proxy, and now there are a few more people to look forward to meeting again, and the sure hope of all being together again someday makes life’s difficulties trivial by comparison.