Once there were two teen-aged brothers who were very close, and they loved each other dearly. They were close in age as well, and they enjoyed playing the same games, and doing the same things. When one wanted to ride his bike, so did the other one. When one wanted to go out into the fields and practice target shooting, the other would grab his gun and go happily along. Their parents were very happy with how well the two boys got along.
But the boys’ father was a wise man, and he was anticipating a day of inevitable reckoning. His wife asked him about it, but he had a hard time putting it into words. “We have two boys, and they do wonderfully together whenever there are two similar things to want together. But some day, there will only be one thing. Maybe one beautiful girl with no sister. Maybe something else. But something.”
And sure enough, that day finally came—a writing contest at school. Both boys were eligible to compete, and since their tastes and abilities were so similar, they both entered into it with enthusiasm. And they both had a lot of fun together preparing for it. There was some good natured teasing, but their dad could see that it was dawning on both of them that there was only one first prize.
Both boys had written their stories and entered them, and the night before the winners were going to be announced, their father brought the subject up at the dinner table. “Well, boys,” he said, “I have an announcement to make.” Everybody just looked at him—he frequently did things like this.
“Here it is. I am the father of at least one loser. Maybe two.” Everybody laughed, but then one of the boys said, “Why are you telling us this?”
“Because when the announcement is made tomorrow, I don’t want either of you to draw the wrong conclusion from it. One of you, in your disappointment, will be tempted to think that this is the result of you being very different from your brother, far more unlike than you had previously assumed. But the lesson is just the opposite. The intensity of your desire is precisely because you are so much alike. If you think you were really far apart, you will then grow apart, fulfilling your wrong assumption. If you realize the gift of closeness God has given you, win or lose, you will keep that closeness. And I will have something equally cryptic to say tomorrow night.” And everyone laughed again.