The bestest big brother in the whole entire world

In case you’ve been wondering where I disappeared to. Our family had headed back to Kota Kinabalu for my youngest brother’s wedding. Yes, I know I was just away for my other brother’s wedding a couple of months ago. These are the only two brothers I have. So I think our family is done with the weddings for a long while at least.

I have beautiful bunch of photos to share once I’m done sorting through them and doing the edits and whatnot. But in the meantime, I want to share this absolutely heart-melting moment with you involving these two bestest buddies in the world.

On the morning before our flight out to Kota Kinabalu, I was bustling about with the final packing and getting everyone ready. As I was picking up Grace out of her cot, I grabbed her pacifier-monkey-lovey as well to make sure I didn’t forget to pack it. Nathan was by my side, waiting to give his good-morning cuddle to his little sister. when he noticed something.

“Mummy, why Grace doesn’t have anything in her cot?” Nathan enquired.

“Doesn’t have anything? What do you mean?”

“You know… like my Quack-Quack, Hoot and Bao-Bao?”

“Oh, I guess she is happy with her Momo (pacifier). Maybe she just hasn’t found a soft toy she really likes yet.” I said, scrambling to come up with an explanation.

“Oh… then she has no one to protect her at night.” Nathan responded with great concern.

“I guess not” I agreed. A little stumped at how to respond.

Nathan pauses and thinks deeply for a moment. Then he runs into his room and returns with a pink, roundish, soft, cuddly creature…

“I know! She can have Bao-Bao!” he exclaims excitedly.

Now before I continue, I think I have to explain who this Bao-Bao is. You see, Nathan has three favourite loveys he sleeps with every night. He calls them his protectors. They are there to protect him from monsters and dragons and he is there to protect them in return. It’s a very symbiotic relationship. They make a formidable team against the infestation of monsters and dragons which always suddenly manifest on a nightly basis.

These trio of protectors go way back. They were not random purchases from the shops. Nathan discovered Quack-Quack and Bao-Bao in my wardrobe years ago. They were love gifts from the hubby from our courtship days which I had kept lovingly away. Nathan fell in love with them immediately so I gave them to him. And Hoot was a present the hubby had bought especially for Nathan as he was such a big fan of the Giggle and Hoot show. Well Nathan was. Hubby--maybe, not openly at least.

In Nathan’s world, Quack-Quack, Hoot and Bao-Bao had always existed together as an inseparable team. So I was completely taken aback when Nathan offered to give Bao-Bao away to Grace.

[On a sidenote, everyone in the house knows that Grace has a not so secret crush on Bao-Bao. She often sneaks into Nathan’s room to try and steal him. We had to teach Grace that stealing is wrong but that she could ask Nathan to borrow Bao-Bao if she wanted. Nathan was always graciously willing to lend Bao-Bao to Grace for a cuddle from time to time but he always had to be returned afterwards.]

So I knew it was no small deal for Nathan to give Bao-Bao away. Yet he did it so willingly and open-heartedly. Something broke inside me right there and then.

“Nathan, are you absolutely sure you want to give Bao-Bao to Grace?”

“Yes!”

Checking just one more time…

“Are you letting Grace have Bao-Bao for a while or for always?”

“For always! It’s to put in her cot for her to sleep with at night.” Nathan answered patiently.

Grace grabs Bao-Bao rapturously in her arms and beams up at her big brother.

“Gracie, you must put Bao-Bao in your cot here. Then when you go to sleep, Bao-Bao will be next to you in your cot, okay?” Nathan explains in big brotherly fashion.

Grace nods happily, clutching Bao-Bao with all her might.

“Nathan, that was an incredibly kind thing you did. I am so proud of you.” I tell Nathan, my voice tight with emotion.

“Okay, mummy!” Nathan grins back.

And because I am a blogger, I made the kids reenact the Bao-Bao giving ceremony for my camera. And they humoured me as usual, like they always do.

I have reason to believe that Grace is quite possibly little sister to the bestest big brother in the whole entire world. What would any little girl give to have a big brother like that.