When becoming close friends with someone, you tend to learn more about their personal lives. One thing you end up learning about is that persons family. Starting out for me it’s the typical story; my dad isn’t around so it’s just my mother. So when people ask me about my siblings, I'm all set for the questions. I have two older brothers, they are the biggest pains in my butt (but aren’t all older brothers?). Now, here’s the twist in my story. I have an amazing older sister. Why is she amazing? My sister was born with Cerebral Palsy. For anyone that doesn’t know what that means, Cerebral Palsy is a congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone, or posture. Along with Cerebral Palsy, she has subset disorder called Spastic Quadriplegia that affects both your arms and legs. It affects people differently based on how serious of a case it is. I have seen some people with Cerebral Palsy that a verbal, but I have also seen some that are non-verbal. Unfortunately, my sister is non-verbal.

For the past 21 years of my life, I have never seen my sister as one who has special needs. To us, she was just our awesome sister. Since she has never walked, she would lie on the ground and roll around. When we were younger we would run around her like she was just a normal human being in our lives because to us, that’s what she was. I can remember watching Barney singing the songs silly just because it would make her laugh. One thing that has always been so special to me is the bond I have with my sister. Since she cannot talk, she has always communicated through random noises and if she was upset she would scream and cry. Growing up, I’m really not sure why, call it a sister bond, but I would somehow figure out what she wanted very easily most of the time. I won’t lie, it wasn’t always easy because of all of the medical needs and doctors appointments, but it was well worth the busyness to have her around.

Those with special needs are some of the most loving, extraordinary people in the world. Growing up with my sister, it has taught me to have a special place in my heart for those with disabilities. My sister Ashlynn has opened my heart and brain up to such a special world that I will forever be grateful for. They always say that if you're a girl, your sister is your best friend. Although I wish the circumstances could be different sometimes, I'm glad I have her. I have learned to respect others way more, be more patient, and have a softer heart. It only takes one person to make a huge impact on your life, for me that was my sister.