Brothers

I watched the camaraderie between my two oldest grandsons last night and wondered why they often show their affection for each other by physical punishment. I think they really hurt each other with those pokes and punches but they laugh through their pain. There is no question that they love each other dearly but this is one of the ways they show it. Strange.

It got me thinking about the way women show their affection for each other. We joke about personal things that we know about the woman or her shortcomings just to embarrass her but there is a limit. It never reaches a cutting edge. Women rarely whack each other. We usually hug but you seldom see brothers hugging.

Men like to give nuggies (hard rubs on the head) to each other and we know that's an expression of affection. These are things they started as children but never grew out of as adults. Now I'm trying to remember the last time I saw a senior man give a nuggie...no, they must eventually outgrow the custom.

Men learn early that they can't manhandle a female to show affection in the same way they do their friends so they are capable of understanding that physical violence isn't always the way to go. Knocking a friend or brother around is acceptable somehow because no-one seems to complain. They just yell in pain and then laugh it off, waiting for their own chance to retaliate in kind. Strange.

In the case of my battling grandsons, it's almost nice to see how they acted with each other last night because it was so obviously affection. I remember when they were just young boys and those pokes and punches were for a different reason. Nick couldn't stand Matt when they were little kids because he was a pest and he'd batter him for real. At least now the battering is out of love. Isn't it???