Monday, July 12, 2010

Four Brothers....

So, I have now finished the book, "Eat, Pray. Love." Great book. I'm afraid Hollywood will ruin it since it is now a movie - but I'm sure Julia Roberts will do her best in the lead role. I really don't like when Hollywood ruins a perfectly good book. But, I digress....

In the book, there is a section on meditation and The Four Brothers. Stay with me, since this gets a little, well, meta-physical. So, according to the Balinese healers, each of us has four invisible siblings born with us and they watch over and protect us throughout our life (like a guardian angel, I supposed, but on fertility drugs since apparently we each have four of them). A child is "taught from earliest consciousness that she has these four brothers with her in the world wherever she goes, and that they will always look after her" (page 251, again, no plagiarism on this blog...). The brothers inhabit the "four virtues" a person needs in life: intelligence, friendship, strength, and poetry. Apparently the Balinese are a very poetic people.

As I was reading this chapter, I was at the same time dialing my family back in the United States to find out about my real life guardian-angel of a brother - Doug.

As many of my friends know, Doug was diagnosed with brain cancer nearly three years ago - his type of cancer is oligodendro glioma, Stage III. As an aside, I often wonder why doctors give cancer such elaborate and almost fancy sounding names, when in reality they should just call it, "This Type of Cancer Sucks" (for all cancer) and call it a day.

Anyway, as I am reading this book about the Four Brothers, my own flesh brother is in the ICU struggling with fluid on his brain and a severe case of exhaustion. Worry, no sleep, worry, less sleep, more phone calls at 2am.... Doug is such a strong man and has been through hell and on the very same day, I am reading about a Balinese tradition of Four Brothers and how they watch over and protect us. Doug has done that for me most of my life and it really sucks that he has been through all this cancer crap. But, this trip and his strength have allowed me to realize what is really important - not careers or money, but family, friends and health.

Today, Doug was released from ICU and should be released from the hospital tonight, which is great news. Depending on what happens next, I may head back to the States early to visit him and his wife (and their three dogs, which include Buddy - a dog with more personality than most humans).

Anyway, the lesson learned at this stage of the trip was pretty simple - focus on what really matters and life will unfold - hopefully with the Four Brothers in tow. All I can say today is that I am really proud of my brother for fighting and kicking cancer's ass.....

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