In 2015, the average household size across America was 2.54 people. Small, right? To contrast that, would you believe me if I told you that I have four sisters and three brothers? And I had more than that growing up.
Okay, let me explain. My dad had three children and my mom had two before they met. They fell in love and got married. Not too long after, out came me even though my mom wasn’t supposed to be able to have anymore kids. They divorced when I was eight, and my mom became a foster parent. At one point in time, I had seven sisters. Seven. And I was younger than all of them.
Over the years, some of them moved on to other families and got adopted or just moved on in life. However, my sisters that I still have to this day, I am so thankful for. I have no idea where I’d be without them. Sisters have this weird way of taking on the role of being your mom but yet your best friend at the same time. When they need to, they become bossy nags and make you do things you know you’re supposed to do without being told. But, when all is done, they will make you laugh until your face is blue and you have a head ache.
I have a sister that lives about 10 minutes away from where I attend college. And, boy, she has the mom act down. She makes me “adult” all of the time. When I need food, she fills grocery bags full of whatever she can find in her freezer and pantry. She checks in on my grades and makes sure I am staying involved on campus. But, when all is done and there is nothing more to do for the time being, she calls me over to her house and we gossip for hours.
And, when I go to my hometown to visit my family there, I spend most of my time with my sisters. They seem to be the most excited to hear about my life at college.
But, the best thing about my sisters is this: they will always accept me no matter who I am. There have been many instances where, here lately, I have accepted a lot of things about myself that I had fought for years. And parts of my family have pushed me away because of it. But, my sisters stand firmly by my side.
It’s always been this way, too. I can remember in school how my sisters would always threaten the bullies that would mess with me. I know most boys would be embarrassed by this. But, I wasn’t. My sisters were just protecting me, like I know they will until the ends of our lives.
To go even farther back, one of my brothers and one of my sisters were my very first play mates. Growing up in the deep south, the outdoors were our favorite toy. We would sit outside for hours building forts and making mud pies. One time, they spread berries all over my skin. It was all fun and games until we found out that the berries were poisonous.
When my older brother used to scare me all of the time (as older brothers do), my sister was always the first to comfort me. When my sister would play house with her friends, she would always choose me to be her son and would fight someone if they tried to choose me before her.
Your sisters teach you so much without even meaning to. They teach how to smile when you feel like crying. They teach you how you should be treated in a relationship. They teach you how to have a balance between play and seriousness. They teach how it feels to have someone who will love and accept you no matter what. But, most importantly, they show you what it is to always have someone to fall back on.
I feel strongly that when God created woman, he mainly did it because he knew that guys like me would need sisters. (I know, I know, probably no religions go by that or whatever. Just let me have my moment of kindness, my sisters will appreciate it.)
To sum all of this up, my sisters are some of the greatest things that happened to me. Blood or not. They were my first love, my first best friends, my first tears shed, my first laughter, etc. They have helped me through so many obstacles in my life. And I know that they will only continue to do that.
And to my sisters (blood or not blood, if you still talk to me and accept me, this is to you): Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. Even all of the times you have gotten on my last nerve, you all really were some of my very first best friends. And I know that you will never leave my side no matter how far apart we are. I know we always be in each other’s hearts.
