80 — Sharon Mark Cohen

Occasionally you read about a married couple together for 70 or more years. How about siblings?

My brother Al just turned 80, and my 70th is coming fast. Can it be so long ago that I was getting my feet caught in the spokes of his bicycle?

The in-between years from our youth to the present include mounds of discussions. Of my three older brothers, Al’s the one who dwells on the past.

Although faithful, he struggles, “If there is a God, I haven’t done enough.” He comes full circle and follows that thought with, “If there isn’t a God, I’ve done too much.”

My husband, more like a brother to my siblings and me to his, said Al’s life is full of contradictions. For example, he’s always donating to charities, yet he complains about limited retirement funds.

Then, he chides another brother for spending too much on the limited food items he enjoys, which Al does not favor. He also believes that paper towels are more expensive than paper napkins. He contends it must be more costly to produce paper napkins because they require folding. I know of no one else who ponders such questions.

I enthusiastically suggested he write a book because he knows so much. He replied, “I know a little about a lot, if I knew a lot about a little, I’d have a career.” He said that was something he came up with years ago and then heard someone say it on Jeopardy. My brothers are die-hard Jeopardy fanatics, often answering the most far-reaching questions and overshadowing the contestants.

My husband’s administrative assistant, Esther, says I treat my brothers better than a wife takes care of a husband. She knows I cook and bake for my old-fashioned bachelor brothers regularly, even preparing enough food to “hold them over” until returning from vacations. Talk about following in your mother’s footsteps.

My three older brothers keep me on my toes. Whether they all know a little about a lot or a lot about a little, I think they know a lot about much. I’m a lucky gal.

To Al, may 80 be the beginning of making many more happy memories to 120.