I am the youngest in a family of 5. My oldest brother, Jared, is 16 years older than me; my sister Layla is 14 years older than me; Kristyn is 13 years older than me, and my brother Dakota is two and a half years older than me. My whole life, I've told people this and I've been met with the same question: why is there such a wide age gap between my oldest three siblings and my brother and me?

It all goes back to the story of how my parents met and fell in love. My mom, a proud mother of 2, was a contestant in a karaoke contest on Memorial Day weekend of 1993. My dad, a father of one, was the judge. It was pretty much love at first sight, and not too long after they met my parents flew off to Jamaica and got married in what I think was one of the prettiest destination weddings of all time (and yes, my mom won that karaoke contest). In September of 1995, my now 22-year-old brother arrived on the scene, and I followed about 2 and a half years later.

So yes, most of my siblings are technically my half-siblings. I only share both of my parents with my brother. My family is a unique blend of step-siblings, half-brothers, half-sisters, and full-blooded siblings. But guess what? That doesn't matter one bit.

You'll never hear us call each other anything but siblings. We don't distinguish each other by labeling some of us as half-siblings, others as step-siblings or full siblings. All of my brothers and sisters are just that: my brothers and sisters. I have the same level of connection to my half-sisters and half-brother as I do to my brother that I share both parents with.

In the past, I've heard other people who have half-siblings say things like "she's just my half-sister, she's not my real sister" or "my half-brother doesn't count". Some people think that half-siblings are less important or less valuable just because one of their parents differs. I'm here to tell you that in my case, that is completely untrue.

Some people might think their half-siblings aren't important, no one in my family feels that way. At the end of the day, we're just family. I have two wonderful sisters and two fantastic(ally annoying) brothers. My sisters don't refer to each other as step-sisters. Even my mom will tell you she has three daughters; she doesn't call my dad's daughter her step-daughter or her adopted daughter.

Sometimes, blood isn't thicker than water. My half-siblings mean just as much to me as my full-blooded brother; I don't care that we have one less parent in common. What really matters is the memories I have with my siblings and the relationships we have created over the years.