"Cherish your siblings, one day you will need each other" is a phrase I have heard my whole life that I didn't pay much attention to until I grew older. Alike most wise phrases, this one is also very much true.
In my family, I am the big sister to a sister and a brother. As for my household, I mainly grew up with my sister and my brother visited often. There is three years between my brother and I, and the same for him and my sister. Back then, it was a rare occasion to have us together and getting along. Today, when we are together the time seems to only last seconds.
My brother, Jacob, and I were close as kids, but he still annoyed me like most little brothers do, and I was still mean to him like most big sisters are. It did not matter If I was playing with Barbies, board games, or catching frogs outside, we always played together, and we always fought. In fact, until our teen years we always camped out in each other's room because we did not want to be apart. We fought, argued, made up again, and repeated this process. As the years passed by, I drew towards independence and the days of playing with my little brother seemed silly. Through a child's eyes, I saw Jacob as an annoyance, but through adult eyes, I saw the bigger picture. My brother loved me and wanted to simply spend time with me.
My sister, Emily, was the baby of the household, and boy did we let her live up to that title. Jacob, and I used to be so mean to her, as we did not want her to play with us because we were the "big" kids. I used to get really mad at her for copying me, but again, through adult eyes, Emily just wanted to "copy me" because she looked up to me. I was the big sister, and she wanted to spend time with me. She saw the relationship between Jacob and I and wanted to be a part of it.
Because of what Emily and Jacob have taught me, and the fact that I am older now, my other two siblings Madison, and Matt, and I have a different kind of relationship. They live with my dad and step mom, but I do make every efforts to see them when I visit. They are not annoying, we do not fight, and I enjoy playing with both of them how ever they see fit. Madison reminds me so much of myself at her age, and Matt's soul is the purest I've ever seen. I cherish the time I have with them, and I want them to remember me as the big sister who was there for them.
Our mom religiously preached this wise tale to cherish our siblings, and we still did not believe her. As we grew up and started our own lives, we realized that mom was more than correct.
Back then, I felt like playing with Jacob and Emily all the time was a chore, that they were not "cool," and that they were so annoying I could not wait to move out. We all fought, we always got in trouble, and it seemed like endless battles.
Today, I am thankful for the time I spent with both of my siblings. I look back and realize, that was the life. They were my absolute best friends, and they were there for everything. The tears, laughs, awkwardness, the trouble, the good, the bad, and the ugly. And the best part is, we did it together. Jacob and Emily always looked up to me, and to tell you the truth, I look up to them. They are two of the strongest individuals I've ever known, and I am really glad to call them my brother and sister. Jacob and I are not as close as we were in the kiddo days, but I think about him often. We keep in contact, and I am so proud of the young man he has become. For Emily, we talk more often than not, and that young lady has a heart too big for this universe. They both have told me they are happy they had a great big sister, and a good example to follow, but the truth is, they are just as responsible for my success as I am my own.
Moral of the story is to cherish your siblings, because one day you will need each other. They are the truest friends you will ever find, and purest souls ever to be in your presence.
I love you Emily and Jacob, and thank you for teaching me the second most important lesson of life.
And I love you Madison and Matt, I am grateful for having the opportunity to be a big sister all over again and getting to watch you grow.
