A "Rare" Bird.... So To Speak

My brother Stephen.
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"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time." ~ Clara Ortega

My brother Stephen is a rare find. He is the reason I am not an only child. Thank goodness! I wouldn't have been a very good only child. As it is, I was an only child for nine years and he was essentially an only child for ten years after I left for college. We did our share of fighting but then I left and he discovered that he missed me and of course, he grew up and up and up and when he turned twelve he was taller than me. We quit fighting.

Stephen sings the title role in Wagner's opera, Lohengrin.

He has trained long and hard and has found success in Europe performing as a Heldentenor in classical opera. Stephen has a rare voice, a large voice that can fill an auditorium with mellow sound and do it without any microphone. He has big dreams and has made them come true... he is a star... in the opera world and in our world.

Nyssa and Stephen spy me pointing the camera in their direction.

"There are wonderful moments,
those rare moments when there is silence,
a tangible silence out there,
a silence deeper than silence."
~ Derek Jacobi

Now his visits back home are rare, only once a year; twice if we are lucky, so Nyssa tries to steal moments alone with her uncle. He has been so generous with us, providing most of the funds for her college education. Here I caught them in quiet moment together at the botanical gardens. Can you tell they adore each other?

Stephen and the "swan", a silly side.

Stephen just finished a visit here where he helped celebrate Nyssa's 21st birthday. He took her to a wonderful restaurant and showered her with pearls...and comedy. You see, my brother is quite the comedian. Dinner at our house is and has always been a hysterical time; sometimes degenerating in to fits of laughter that make eating food almost impossible!

Nyssa gets into the act. Like uncle...like niece.

"All splendid things are rare. " ~ Cicero

Where else on earth could you find such a rare pair of comics, this rare love between uncle and niece, the rare booming voice of a Heldentenor, and such rare generosity all rolled into one? Nowhere but here...my daughter, my brother... both are rare jewels and I am blessed.

The theme for Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt this week is "rare". You can go here to "Grab the Scavenger Hunt code" and here to join the blogroll. This really cute logo is available there as well. The link to other participants is in my blogroll on the sidebar. NOTE: If you want to visit his website, click here. You can see if he is coming to an opera house near you.

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