Brothers and Sisters

If you all don't know already, I work at a place for kids that are removed from their homes for one reason or another. It is definitely a trying job, and we see all kinds of kids with all sorts of troubles. Sometimes the problem is simply their behavior- but most of the time, their issues stem directly or indirectly from their parents. There are occasions when we get kids in that have somehow avoided being too damaged by their parents and yet have to stay with us because their parents are too irresponsible or unfit to care for them.
It is pretty often that we see siblings come in- either at the same time or different times. Occasionally, the siblings are both placed together on our unit. Most of the time the siblings seem disinterested with each other. They don't hang out together, sit together, or even really interact at all. This always struck me as odd considering that they are in a new place, probably a little freaked out, and here is a person you know. But I guess having a relative with you isn't always that comforting. However, sometimes we really see the brother/sister bond in action. Right now we have a brother and sister, and the brother just floors me. The sister came in first, earlier in the day. Later, when the brother was admitted, he politely went straight into the community area and searched for his little sister. He had brought her a book from home that he knew she wanted and the reunion was almost a tear-jerker. Over the last couple of days I have watched him with her. This morning at breakfast he wanted to make sure she was eating and had everything she needed- getting up to get her milk for her cereal and sort of watching over her while she ate. Later today, he was discussing how some administrators thought that he might run from our facility, and he responded by saying that he would never leave his sister. At one point he was doing his laundry and went to her room to make her gather up her clothes so that he could wash them with his. Even tonight when it was time for the kids to go to their rooms, he stood in the doorway of his room making sure she was doing what she was supposed to do, and reminding her to listen to instructions. It is so rare to see this kind of nurturing behavior in these kids, and to see it from an older sibling to a younger one is really touching.
It made me think about how lucky I am to have a brother that would do that for me- that has always watched over me like that. We haven't always gotten along, but once we passed the petty kid stuff, all he has really done is look out for me. It really made me think about people that don't get a chance to have that sibling bond and what a gift it really is.
Anyway, just made me think. In this job where I see nothing but people doing horrible things to their kids, and then their kids in turn being horrible to other kids, a little compassion and nurturing really tugs at you, and I am able to see how special that really is.