Brother

So it was my brother's birthday, and I was a little at a loss for what to get him. So I decided to bake him some cookies and get him a MEC gift card. I had thought about going to visit, but he was working that day and the day after so I figured it might not really be worth my while since it's a long trip. So I had MEC send the gift card straight to him, and I mailed him the cookies (along with two amusing cards that I put a lot of thought into choosing - one for his birthday and another celebrating his new job). I baked on Sunday, and I went to the post office on Monday to send them out, and I even sent them by ExpressPost so that they would get there sooner and he could enjoy them before they got stale. (Granted, the reason I chose ExpressPost over regular parcel mail is because there was only a sixty cent difference. Had ExpressPost been way more expensive, I would have chosen the cheaper, slower option. Not that sending parcels is cheap to start with...) ExpressPost is a next-day kind of thing, so the lady at the post office told me they would arrive on Tuesday.

I had a conversation today, Friday, with my brother, where I asked him if he got the present I had sent. He answered, "I've been lazy and haven't checked the mail for a while now so it's probably sitting in the mailbox." I responded with a strong recommendation to do so because what I sent him is a little time sensitive, and hopefully the raccoons didn't get it... (Although his mailbox probably just holds a notice to pick up a parcel at the post office, where it is safer from raccoons.)

I'm not sure what the word is to describe how I feel about this. It's almost aghast, although this situation doesn't quite call for such an epic word (defn: struck with overwhelming shock or amazement; filled with sudden fright or horror). I raise and furrow my eyebrows and my mouth hangs open and I make that coughing sound that indicates unpleasant surprise or unfairness. "Are you serious??!!" I also feel disappointed. I put a lot of effort and care in for him, and he couldn't even be bothered to receive it by putting in the effort to go to the mailbox? And who doesn't check the mail around their birthday?!

As some sort of an excuse for my brother, this is characteristic of him. As much as I adore my brother, I have to admit that he fails at sensitivity and gratitude and caring about mushy stuff. I wonder if I do this more for me than for him. Which makes it unfair when I am upset that he doesn't respond the way I want him to.

Update 04/06/09: I got a text from my brother tonight: Ooooooo I just ate the last one of the cookies you sent me. Thanks Shell! I kind of forgot to open the package for a while oooops. I'm not sure if this makes me feel better or not... He expressed gratitude, which is pleasantly uncharacteristic of him, but he "forgot to open the package for a while"?! Punk. It might be a while before I'm motivated to send him anything again.

Credits: Dictionary.com