It’s strange (though maybe not in this case) the way certain emotions hit you at fully random times. Like now.

Just a few moments ago I was looking all over the web for bible verses about brotherhood for an awesome tattoo the three of us are going to get sometime very soon, and I found myself strangely overcome with this sense of deep love for my brothers. Those two mean the world to me. Sure, we had our spats growing up and if it hadn’t been for “peace keeper” Aaron I’m sure Ben and I would have killed each other in our pre-teen years, but the meat of the matter is that these two guys are two of my best friends in the whole world. Nobody knows me like my brothers and I can always count on them for support.

There was a time about four years ago in my relationship with Ben that I was literally afraid that I had single-handedly obliterated my relationship with him. I was foolish and terribly judgmental, thinking I had everything figured out. But Ben said a few words to me that woke me up. (Ben, I hope you’re okay with me sharing this, if not, then I’ll buy you a beer next time we get together) At one point in a particularly intense phone conversation he said, “Blake, nothing you can say will change anything that I’m going to do.” Wow. Needless to say, that hit me like a cannonball in the chest. Here I am, loving my little bro to death and I find out that he doesn’t give a rat’s ass what I have to say. I probably cried myself to sleep that night. That conversation was a huge wake-up call for me both personally and spiritually. I realized how much of a dunderhead and pharisee (to borrow a biblical term) I was being: more interested in my brother living the life I wanted him to live the way I wanted him to live it than I was with who my brother was and the implications on our relationship. I can honestly say that this was a huge turning point in my life. God used it to show me that loving my bro for who he was was infinitely more important than anything else. I couldn’t change him, but I could love him with all I had. That lesson obviously has carried over into my relationship with Aaron as well as the rest of my life relationships. Since that point, Ben and I have seen a fiercely dramatic shift in our friendship. We’re talking more now than ever and I can honestly say that we’re in the middle some amazing reconciliation.

Now Aaron has taught me lessons of loyalty and the importance of not stressing about stuff. If you know Aaron you know that he’s one of the most chill guys on the planet and pretty much exemplifies the Godly trait “…slow to anger and abounding in love.” (Psalm 103:8) Seriously, I don’t know of a single time that he’s really been mad about anything, but I can think of a million times when his total love for people his with has floored me, even to the extent of making himself seriously uncomfortable. One time in particular comes to mind. A summer or two ago Aaron and I went surfing at Salt Creek beach (or was it Old Man’s?) in Orange County, CA. The water was freaking freezing–but we had wetsuits! One problem though: only one was full length. The other was a knee length spring suit. I went to go put on the spring suit because I knew how much Aaron loved his full-length but Aaron stopped me. (Apologies ahead of time, ladies for the crassness of the following conversation. We’re bros so this is how it came out Forgive me.)

Aaron: Naw, dude. You’re wearing the full suit. That water’s cold. I’m not gonna let you freeze your balls off your first time out. I do want nephews some day.

Me: But dude, I don’t want you to freeze yours either. Besides, you love that suit.

Aaron: Blake, stop being a pansy and put the full suit on. Let me worry about my balls. I’m tough. My boys can take it.

And he did. We went out and had an awesome time in the freezing cold June waters. Stuff like this is commonplace for Aaron. He loves people so stinking intensely and would never leave a friend of his in a bind.

Ben, Aaron, like I said before: you guys mean the world to me. Nobody knows me like you do and I can’t have the random good times we have with anybody else. I love how we quote movies to each other nonstop (“Multiplicity”, Disney’s “Atlantis” and “Extreme Days” are favorites), laugh at inside jokes from our childhood and partake in brotherly beat-downs on a regular basis. Ben and I used to dominate, but recently Aaron you’ve surprised us both with your abilities to dish out the punishment we’ve unleashed on you your entire lifetime (I guess we need to learn to defend now, eh? ) I cherish my time with you above all others and I look forward to the millions more stories we’ll create together over the rest of our lives.

God has blessed me with you and taught me an uncountable number of lessons through you, always drawing us closer together and closer to Him. I love you guys. You’ve got my back and I’ve got yours. It’s the way we roll. A verse from Ecclesiastes comes to mind:

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two
can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a
triple-braided cord is not easily broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

Peace, grace and love go with you both always. I don’t know what I’d do without you.