Brotherly Love

It’s funny when people ask us Wild brothers about ourselves—if we get along, if we like each other, if we ever get in fights, or if we enjoy encroaching on each other’s nerves. We have to be honest; at times we are prone to do just that. It isn’t always easy living in a house with a bunch of boys. There are definitely times of miscommunication, arguments, someone being overly silly—a “ham” as we affectionately call them—or just being . . . wild. It just comes naturally I guess.

But we are living proof that four brothers can live in perfect harmony with each other and are actually far better off that way.

Our parents have taught us to respect and look out for each other. We have a motto that we coined when we were younger, but it has stuck with us for all these years:

If you mess with one Wild brother, then you mess with them all.

It’s all for one and one for all. We stick together and watch out for one another’s safety. We help balance one another out as well. Each of us has a different personality and certain characteristics. Sometimes one of us will cross the line, and it takes the other brothers to straighten him out.

That is often the case with me. I find that I am quick to respond to things in an impulsive, rather rash way that isn’t always the best response to whatever situation I might find myself in. It is Hudson who usually keeps me in line and reminds me to think rationally and to consider my actions beforehand so that I won’t regret what I might do afterwards. In the same way, I am able to do similarly with my brothers and encourage them to make the right decisions and monitor their actions.

For this reason it is great to have brothers to help balance each other out, keep one another accountable, encourage each other’s strengths, tame hasty inclinations, and strengthen one another in our weaknesses.

Unfortunately, none of us is perfect, and we are naturally prone to sin. We find ourselves arguing over something or disagreeing on a decision and that eventually leads to frustration in one another. One thing that we brothers strive to do is acknowledge our faults and quickly ask for forgiveness from each other. God’s Word clearly says that we should not let the sun set while we still have a grudge against our brother (Ephesians 4:26).

If we hold on to our anger and fail to recognize our flawed, human, sinful nature, sin will well up inside us and ruin our lives. As brothers, we have to daily consider what it takes to honor one another and respect each other, despite our mistakes.

Another aspect of our lives as brothers is that we do everything together and are rarely alone. We sleep in the same room, get up at relatively the same time, do school in the same classroom, and go about our day always within talking distance, for the most part.

Now, obviously there are times when it is nice to get out by yourself for an hour or so; it isn’t like we never have time by ourselves. Hudson finds his time alone in the silent jungle, Kian maybe reading his book, Asher chilling out with Newt and me, developing some new melody on the guitar. But overall we tend to stick together.

This has given us the experience of what it takes to work as a team and involve one another as a group rather than as individuals. It has taught us the importance of unity rather than dependence on our own abilities. Working together as brothers is priceless because we build and maintain a relationship that’s always going to last.

Each of us is different. We have different talents, our own tastes and styles, and we still work well independently of one another, but when we work together the results are always good. We are thankful for the brotherhood God has given us and the opportunity to grow up together and experience our youth under such privileged circumstances.