Brotherhood

I'm blessed to have an amazing wife. Yes, she's the most wonderful woman that I've ever met. Now, before you write off this post as a big, slobbery, e-kiss to my wife, I will give you a few reasons why she's the best. #1, she always puts our kids first. A good mama puts her kids first, but my wife does it really well. #2, she puts up with me. This is actually the reason I give her the most credit for, as I consider myself a mere few rungs up from our primate cousins. #3, she's a woman of deep faith. Not only does she know and defend her beliefs, she lives them. I find this extremely attractive. And #4, she's hot...'nuff said.
I love my kids. They are the best kids I could ever have dreamed of. My daughter just turned two and with her birthday came an unquenchable desire to say "tank you!" Melts me. Also blots out her unquenchable desire to get into everything liquid and spill it (drinks, lotion, oil, etc.) But for a two year old, she's a wonderfully respectful and generally obedient girl. Quinn is going to be a stud, no doubt about it. He's mellow, but charming. Footballs, soccer balls, basketballs of all sizes interest him, along with everything electronic. That's my boy.
Now how do the previous paragraphs have anything to do with brotherhood, the title of this entry? Well, here it is: as much as I rely on my wife and kids for my very emotional survival, sometimes I need someone who can relate to me at my level. Men and women operate on different levels; or, to put it more accurately, at different wavelengths. Not on a 1-to-10 scale, but more of an AM vs. FM relationship. I promise I'm going somewhere with these thoughts, if you've made it this far I promise I won't let you down; the point is straight ahead: Sometimes a guy needs to have his guy time. Simple as that. There is nothing like a game of pool, having a drink, and talking about anything from the serious to the not-so-serious. Guys have a very relaxed way of interacting. There is no hidden agenda, fear of emotional mis-reads, or unreasonable grudge-holding. We certainly don't think too much about whether "Joe invited Steve over more than he invited me, he must really prefer to spend time with Steve." No, no, no. We're just a lot more chill than our counterparts. As stated before, my very life is completely dependent on my wife and kids, I would be a wreck without them. God's beautiful plan is so much clearer when I witness His love revealed in my family. Sometimes, though, there's no substitute for friends that are solid, God-fearing men. Whether it be camping trips, poker nights, pool games, political/social debates, or whatever, hanging with the guys is really necessary for every man. I also believe that spending time with your buddies brings men closer to their families. Not just because after a rain-soaked weekend camping with the boys I'm glad to be back with wife and kids under my own roof (although that's true), but because in our interaction, conversation, etc we remind each other of how much our wives and families mean to us. Solid friends can only serve to build each other up, and I'm blessed to be able to say I've got some very solid friends.