Brotherhood Trumps Everything

Please forgive my rambling, but it is important that I write this. I attended the funeral of a great man today, and I learned something that I think applies to our group, and every group here at KTC. I hope we can learn to apply this as we live with each other over the next 100+ days.

My uncle died of kidney disease, from which he suffered for many years. He was a founding member of a motorcycle club. He lived a tough life, and was always known as a tough man. He would just as quickly meet with you a smile and a handshake as he would a knife or a harsh word. He’d been shot at, in more fights than he would ever let on to and messed with crowds most of us would walk away from. He was a tough man’s tough man.

But despite that tough outer image, he had three distinguishing qualities that both his blood family and his biker family knew so well about him: dignity, brotherhood, and love.

He treated you with respect, no matter where you came from. But he expected you to be honest with him, and you would know no wrath if you disrespected him or lied to him.

He felt a brotherhood that remains today with both his families. There was no one more important than you when you spoke with him. There was nothing more important than what you had to say. He would go to his grave to protect you, both physically and emotionally. He loved more deeply than any man I have ever known.

At his funeral today, both families stood to remember a man who had changed their lives for the better. Those from his MC spoke of a brotherhood that could not and would not be broken. Through good times and bad, brotherhood trumps everything. I saw men today cry for their brother and for his family because of the loss we all felt.

We are a brotherhood (and sisterhood). We must be willing to say the things to each other that we don’t want to hear – that we will not accept a cave, that we will not allow someone who is weak willed or otherwise unworthy of our group to join us.

We must also be willing to stand up for each other, to hold each other accountable, and to extend forgiveness and courage when we need to. We must believe that this brotherhood is what will save our lives, because quite frankly, if we could quit dipping on our own, we would have done so years and years ago.

So, April brothers and sisters, I ask you:

Are you willing to take a call a 3am because one of your brothers or sisters is in a bad place, and ready to throw away their quit?

Are you willing to check in on a brother or sister who has not posted roll in a day or two?

Do you have numbers to check in on our group?

Are you willing to do whatever it takes so that none of us becomes a victim to addiction and disease?

I am.

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member Frazzled