Journal 2009 – March 20th
Today is the equinox. And in 4 days my brother will turn 24. 22 years we’ve spent exploring this world together, 24 years of life, experience, joy, and innovation. 24 years of a path no other person could dream of having. A brilliant young man full of promise and strength, dedication and vitality. My brother is an individual, a true originality among a crowd. I’d like to dedicate this blog to him. As a signal of our family bond.
Family… Blood ties, relation through DNA, spirit, anima… life. But not only through blood, not only by birth. Family is inclusive, it is all those with whom you share a deep seated common goal. It is a bond which transcends petty argument and instead calls forth alliance and camaraderie. Family is a driving force which is united for the betterment of our world, the strengthening of our children’s future, personal development and a desire to leave the world better than we’ve found it. These things are impossible alone. They cannot be accomplished without the support structure that is family. The unquestioning support and the cutting criticism which helps us to understand our choices and stand resolute in our choices. It is family that fuels one’s ability to stand before judgment and understand that you’ll never be alone.
My family is unique; we have never had major quarrels or internal strife. My parents fostered a home of love and mutual respect and encouraged us to be as different as possible. Alex and I share many values and goals but in-so-much as we are the same, we are also instinctively different. We have experienced two sides of the same guiding blade. Split down our individual paths – trials, and quests which have shaped us – we have our values, our family and most importantly the support that they bring. Infused since childhood by our family bond we have a core desire to leave the world a strong better place for those that follow has remained strong and burns passionately.
My brother’s work with FusionVirtual is only a single example of the steps he’s taken to accomplish these goals. Education is paramount in the creation of a class of humanity which cares and seeks to deliver the world from the darkness which threatens to eliminate our species. He recognizes that, and seeks to revolutionize the accessibility of education to millions of people around the world… no easy feat.
Growing up together Alex and I fought as all brothers do. We worked together and learned from our experiences and conflicts. Without that give and take, that constant struggle for individuality and attention, neither of us would be the men we are today. We are both so strong in our core ideals that it is often difficult to understand where one man ends and another begins. Yet this is not due to our being the same. Instead it is our differences which allow us to understand and compliment the weaknesses of the other, generating a united front which fights for a common goal. Our parent’s are also a unifying factor in this maturation. Without them, their personal strength, passion, and guidance we would be hopeless, lost in the dark.
Parents are fully responsible for their children throughout their lives. The decision to have a child means that your life is no longer solely yours. Your life becomes that of your children as well, their education, their behavior and the person they grow to be is a reflection as well as a monument – whether good or disturbed – to you… the parent. Children learn because at home their parents stress the importance of education, children act out because at home they are taught it is the way they should act. They see parents at all times, in every moment and learn what is acceptable from them. No other influence is as influential to a child as their parents/guardians. I hope that those planning on families take this to heart and understand that when the decision to bear children comes to pass, it signals a transcendence from a single person into an entity combined and unified in the world… a family. We can only love our parents for the example they set. Their fortitude and fervor created in every way the men that my brother and I are.
Edward Alexander Berger. In these few days before you celebrate the passage of another year, Know that your brother is with you, understands the man you are and welcomes your influence in his life at all times.
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