Feeling 10 feet tall

This morning during breakfast someone asked me about my brother Nader. The conversation started off by the person asking me if my brother is a teacher now, and I replied he starts his first teaching job this month inshAllah. We then got into the conversation of my brother working in the family store up until recently when he became a teacher. When I started to explain my brother and his path to where he is now, suddenly I started to feel 10 feet tall.

It dawned on me that my brother Nader Husni Odeh is pretty freaking amazing mashAllah. I always knew this of course, but when I started explaining to someone else what my brother has done with his life and how he got to where his now the words started to surface flashbacks of his struggles he made for our family and how he rose out of them so gallantly.

I'm sure it was not easy growing up as the only boy out of six children. The pressure was always there. He carried the burden of the weight of being my father's right hand man, the only other man he can rely on to carry this family through if we ever needed it.

And we did need it. So many times he has put his own ambitions and dreams aside for us without ever being asked.

The person I was having this conversation with asked me how old my brother is, I replied 29 years old. Wow, my brother is a devoted husband and father of four beautiful children, worked seven days a week in my father's store, went to college for his bachelors and then to graduate school in an accelerated program where he scored extremely high marks. ( I hate to admit, he was always smarter than me in school).

The only reason why he did not finish school sooner is because he had to put school on hold at a time when my father fell too ill to work. Nader took my dad's place to support the family. Without him being selfless we wouldn't have been able to make it. He did all this at an age where most boys were out having a good time, making big life mistakes.

Being the only boy out of so many girls, he could have easily taken advantage of this situation. He could have been spoiled if he wanted to, he could have been rebellious and not care because my parents  would have accepted him no matter what. But he chose to get married young, bring my parents four little joys, be there for his sisters both emotionally and in action and never say no to any of us when we needed him.

My dear brother Nader we may fight at times but I love that we can come back still loving each other because lets face it, sometimes our fights are entertaining....like the one about Thomas Jefferson...

If I never told you before, I'm telling you now, I have the most amazing brother I could ever ask for. I am so proud of you for all that you have become, for everything that you are and will be. This family loves you so much, I love you so much. May Allah keep you for us always inshAllah. Love you.


Faten Husni Odeh



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