Do you ever think "where did this whole marriage thing come from"?
I don't know how it was created, but if you ask me, it sounds like one tough gig. In the beginning, it seems all roses and daisies. I mean you've found a person who makes you feel safe even when everything feels like it's crashing down...and then you realize that crazy Aunt Sally is now related to you. The definition of brother-in-law just says "the husband of one's sister". Nowhere in that statement does that include jumping into another person's family. Somehow you are required to learn every inside joke, birthday, quirk, norm, and everything in between. And if that's not enough, you get laughed at for not knowing about certain movies that are somehow classics. Ahem, "Mary Poppins" is a classic right?
Marriage is like a waterfall. When you're looking up, everything seems exciting, but when you're looking down, every rock is trying to prohibit the water from reaching the bottom.
To my brother-in-law, this one is for you:
I'm sorry for being a rock.
I'd be lying if I said I don't have regrets. The relationship I have with my sisters is few and far between. We are a mixture of personalities that couldn't be more different, but still fit together like a puzzle piece. There is absolutely nothing that can break our bond, even if we don't always agree on things. I didn't give you a chance because you were holding hands with one of the most precious beings in my entire world. I wanted everything to stay the same. Every chance to get to know you, I never took. Instead, I ran. My biggest fear was being replaced.
You make it look so easy.
At first, I couldn't imagine someone else coming into our family. We got along just fine. We live off of a group message where we share the best part of our day, which is usually a delicious bowl of Kraft Mac n' Cheese we scrambled up. Our family gatherings involve laughing about the craziest things we did as kids while watching an old movie. Everything we do is together.
You have become the opposite of what I thought.
You didn't take her away. Instead, you continuously drop everything to help and are the first one to say "take a leap of faith". You give the best advice. You've put up with a household who doesn't know what the word "quiet" means. You care. You've made yourself a family member even when it involves the craziest family traditions, like writing a letter to Santa even if we are in our 20's.
I don't deserve to have a brother like you. Every time I didn't give you a chance I was just digging a bigger hole for myself. Thanks for always putting my sister first and giving me a second chance. Instead of thinking about what I was losing, I should've focused more on what I was gaining.
