Autopodophobia

One of my brothers suffers from gerentopodophobia, or the unreasonable fear of old peoples feet. While I imagine that this is not that uncommon a fear, it concerns me a bit. Once he gets to be older, it only follows that it will morph into autopodophobia, or the unreasonable fear of your own feet. This seems to me to be truly terrible problem. After all you can’t run away from your own feet!

Another concern is that such a weakness would be terribly exploited at family reunions. I have 4 brothers. The five of us and my dad are like a pack of wolves. Show weakness and the whole group piles on. It’s good natured, but it is still a little tough to take when your ears are being pulled in different directions and someone is gnawing on your tail. Foot fear would be ammunition that the pack would find irresistible. We are a cruel bunch. I can hear it now. “Hey brother, how’s business? Have you been getting your Foot in the door recently?” “I think your shoes are Toe-tally awesome!” “So tell me, is your kid following in your Footsteps?” The image is just not a pretty one.

Fraternal love, love between brothers, is mind-blowing. As the Word says, “It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes.” It is a love that soaks through and anoints.

Part of fraternal love’s value is its rarity. Sometimes petty differences and senseless fights come between family members. This is something we can heal but often do not. Sometimes it is the sword brought by our faith in Christ that separates us. This is harder. Prayer and faith are our only real weapons to win our brothers if this is the separating gulf. Whatever the reason, brothers unified in faith and love are rare and precious.

Another part of this love is that our siblings usually see us with clearer eyes than anyone other than our spouse, our kids, and our parents. Our brothers provide a special perspective as temporal companions who see the world through experiences linked to our own. Neither our fathers and mothers nor our sons and daughters can duplicate their contemporaneous coexistence with us. They understand where we are coming from.

Finally, they are not our spouses. We don’t have to find oneness in them. They are not our “neged”, the one who opposes us and completes us at every point. We do not have to impress them. In the end, there is no obligation of love save what tradition dictates and even that can be ignored. Thus, many do not feel the need to develop and maintain relationships with the most immediate of their kin and brotherhood suffers.

When all these factors are thrust aside, when differences are put aside, when intimate bonds are formed between brothers and sisters, the blessed oil begins to flow. It permeates life and allows for a high priestly anointing to stand over that family. Thank God for my brothers who lift me up, brighten my life, and sometimes bite at my tail.