Annie’s Mailbox: Good advice to boy about brother

Dear Annie: I would like to respond to the letter from “Little Brother,” the 13-year-old fatherless boy who thought he was in love with his older brother.

My dad died when I was 5, and my 17-year-old brother immediately stepped into the role of a surrogate father. He was loving, kind and affectionate and helped me navigate through my childhood and teenage years. When I was 12, I thought I had fallen in love with him. I even had dreams of being intimate. These thoughts scared and confused me.

I told my brother how I felt, and just like everything in my life, he helped me sort through my feelings and explained that they were a combination of the love we felt for each other and the effects of puberty. I remember him telling me that my thoughts would change as I matured. He was right.

Your advice was spot on, but I would have told “Little Brother” to talk directly to his brother. He sounds so much like mine. I am now 32 and married with two sons. My brother is still my hero and the first person I turn to for help and advice. He has never let me down. He was the best “Dad” anyone could have asked for. – Tim

Dear Tim: Your brother was uncommonly mature. You are fortunate that he continues to advise you with kindness and wisdom.

Annie’s Snippet for Patriot Day (author unknown): Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal.