Today is 01 September, the birthday that I share with my twin brother, Regan. Regan recently married Rachel at a lovely, small ceremony with family and friends at the Angel Church. I had prepared a speech, but the layout of the restaurant where we ate later did not really allow for speeches, so gladly forewent the opportunity. I would however, like to offer it here, in love and respect for my brother.
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Good afternoon.....
Umm.
My speech may be a bit shorter than expected. I have just noticed that the hand written version you gave me, Regan a couple of minutes ago is virtually unreadable. Really sorry. I can kind of make out the gist of the first paragraph - basically Regan is an all round good guy, with which I basically agree, but the rest... looks like I’m going to have to do my own thing!
Regan has always been extremely competitive. So too have I for that matter. In sport, when we played on teams together, we put everything into it working together for a win. That’s not to say we always found ourselves on the winning side, just that if our other teammates had had the same mentality, we actually would have won. It really wasn’t so bad... There was that season of basketball as children where we lost every single game. Our coach, not being rude but accurate of his stats, a loser, claimed the game was all about having fun. Regan’s response was something along the lines of “how is losing fun? It’s fun when we win.” That mentality has stayed with him.
Worse though than losing to some team of strangers, was losing to me. When Batman and Superman fought each other in the unimaginatively titled film “Batman vs Superman”, it was described as “The greatest gladiator match in the history of the world”. Whoever said that had never seen us. Neither would stop, but especially not Regan if he was losing. A look at his medical history would show he did not always fare well. Here he is looking glum after some accident or other required some bandaging for his forehead.
There are plenty of episodes like this through his life.
Some here might recall three serious dislocations and two surgeries in his teenage years, the initial damage being done the first two times in games of one on one basketball with me. This was simply the culmination of competitions between the two of us where he fared poorly going back to a broken arm at age four after a conflict with me over a stick and related tumble down the stairs. He just wouldn’t let go.
Please Don’t feel the least bit sorry for him. Look at him here in his sling enjoying an ice cream.
Despite all of this, he still approached things with the mentality that he was the best. He may have been a winner with me, though he was less certain about that. A few years ago when we did the Bear Grylls survival race and started jogging off, I suggested we stick together to help one another out on the obstacles. Ryan, I actually have a chance of winning this thing, he said, abandoning me to a tortuous 5 k on my own. He was, at least in his mind definitely a winner when against me. Even when he wasn’t... So I’ve been really looking forward to today. Such a landmark. A real milestone. I don’t want to undermine the significance of his marriage to Rachel, which is a very nice bonus, but he finally has admitted that I am in fact, the best man.
Dr. Martin Luther King once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Time and again Regan has proven his measure.
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Time and again Regan has proven his measure.
Regan never knew how to give up. He might have felt like quitting, but it was never a serious possibility thus not an option for him. In sports, the team we played on always was in it with a chance and he would give the match everything till the final whistle blowed. When watching sports even, it was as though he thought his energy could somehow be channelled or the team he was watching via the telly. I’ll never forget his sobbing at the end of sporting events. Ones he was watching on telly. The 2006 England vs Portugal World Cup loss for example - if I had the tech to hand I would play a video of Ronaldo winking at Rooney. He might not be the type of guy to have wept as Rachel walked down the aisle, but that would break him.
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A very happy birthday, Regan!
Nice article for birthday wishes.happy birthday sister
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