Alright, I know you have all seen the typical articles with titles like "12 Reasons Why My Sister Is The Only Person That Gets Me" or "5 Things Only Sisters Will Understand." I am sure you are probably tired of comparing GIF-sets of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler winking at each other to you and your sibling after you pull off an epic parent-prank. So, to spare you, I am instead just going to write from the heart. I am not going to try to relate to what I think other people feel about their sisters. Instead, I am going to write about my personal feelings and stories with mine, and know that if you are lucky, you will be reminded of your love for your sister too.
Now, for starters, I am in a very unique situation. That is, I am a twin with my sis. She popped out a minute before me, but thankfully she has never really tried to use that against me. From the very minute we were born, we have relied on each other for strength. Sometimes I look back at our baby photos and see our little lumpy bodies, noting that one of us is inevitably propping the other one up. As we developed into little crib toddlers, nap time became quite a spectacle with us. Every time my mother put us down for the nap, she laid us in our separate cribs, and then when she came in to wake us up from our naps, she found us in the same crib. As the story goes, every nap time after my mom left the room, Chelsea would run against the side of her crib, causing it to roll towards mine. After that, she would hop over the sides and plunk down right next to me. We spent the rest of nap time snuggling.
Chelsea is the biggest gift to me. To know that you've loved someone for so long that even before birth you were best friends is the most powerful gift. But even more than that, for two people to develop into completely different adults and maintain that best friendship is even more powerful. Almost always, sisters have incredibly different talents, personalities, friends, and abilities. This is no different with Chels and I. However, it has never stopped her from caring about me with everything she has. As I've written about in previous articles, I have not always been as strong as I feel I am today. Life has been a roller coaster already, and I have let it affect me to the point of neglecting the people I love the most, including Chelsea. At the moments I was at my worst, she was there to pick me up by playing me songs and taking me on long drives and even helping me bathe. She is the most loyal person I know, and her silly dance moves make me laugh more than anyone else could make me laugh. She is my biggest gift.
Basically, what I'm trying to share with you all is how much my sister means to me, how much sisters mean to all of us. They are there when we don't even know it, sending us good vibes from behind the stage. They are there even when they are miles away, sending us throwback links from Tumblr. They are there when someone else isn't and they are there when someone else is there too. They are magical fairies and courageous knights all at once, I swear. So let this serve as a thank you for everything sisters do for us and an invitation to pay it forward. It's time for me to be that amazing sister she has always been for me, and I will never stop trying.
I love you, Chelly.
