My Giant

I have a younger brother named Peter who up until a mere six years ago, I referred to as my "little" brother. I am two years older and because of this honor, had full authority and leadership over him throughout our childhood. As a child, I was notorious for getting Peter into precarious situations and holding him hostage, until my parents came and rescued him. I would make him be "the dog" while playing "house" (leash included), "time him" as he went and got things for me... your basic power-happy-older-sibling-manipulation, really. 

My rule and reign over Peter, however, ended abruptly one day. 

We had been left home alone for an evening and we started fighting about something. (Prior to this event, our fights would consist of your basic sibling exchanges of verbal and physical punches in which I ALWAYS came out victorious.) But, that evening was different. Our fight began as normal, following your basic teenage fight format "You little ____"/"I am going to ____ you"/"If you even ____, I will _____". However, somewhere in the middle of the fight, after saying something that really made him mad, Peter lunged towards me, picked me off the ground by my shoulders, looked me dead in the eye and said, "If you ever say that to me again or touch me, I will hurt you." As he let me go, I fell to the ground stunned. It was then that I realized that he really was bigger than me. Somewhere in the midst of my reign and rule, he had grown over a foot taller than me, gained a significantly lower voice and had enough physical presence to shut me up. 

I was no longer the boss.

I have since come to terms with the fact that I can no longer boss Peter around and wouldn't dare enter into a physical contest of strength. I have settled into my stature and assumed a less powerful dominion. I now refer to Peter as "my giant"... simply because he is. From my vantage point, he is huge. 

Well, apparently I remark about his height quite a bit, even to my students. Yesterday, as we were talking about how some trees in the rain forest are over 15 feet tall, we began comparing 15 feet to things we can see. The conversation went like this...

"Are they bigger than our cars?" Girl A asked.

"Yes", I replied to stunned little faces.

"Are they bigger than the swings?" Boy A asked.

"Yes", I said. 

"Are they bigger than our principal?" Girl B asked.

"Yes", I said in the midst of "wow" and "whoa" swirling around me.

And then I called on Boy B.

"Boy B?"

And in a hushed, shockingly reverent voice, Boy B asked, "Mrs. Cunningham are they bigger than your brother?"

"Yes, they are, Boy B." I replied softly.

"Wow," he said. "They must be really huge".