When people would say “you never really know what you have until it's gone,” it never set that heavily on my mind. At least, not until I left for college.

When I left, it was as if I began to see my family as if I were an outsider, everything came from a whole new view. I was not so fixated on the small details anymore. Instead, I saw the whole picture. I say this because when you see people day in and day out, you can find yourself getting caught up in the minor details and in the things that don’t really matter.

I have six siblings. I am a middle child while also an older sibling. From there, it is a bit more complicated. This means there is constantly something going on and kids at all different stages of life. With all of this, it can be challenging to take a moment and take a step back and appreciate it all.

When I stepped out of my little world, I really saw all that my siblings have done for me and how they have impacted my life.

Being at college and not having a sister there to talk to, not having a sister to tell her not to wear my clothes, not having an older brother to make fun of my stupid comments, not having younger siblings to allow me to feel like a little kid — these are now all things I miss.

Now that I don’t have these constants in my life, I understand what they truly meant to me. My siblings taught me patience, they helped shape my humor, and they helped me step out of my comfort zone. They are always teaching me new things, and most of all, they always made my life exciting. I am glad I now have the opportunity to step back and understand all the colors they each bring into my life.

My siblings truly helped shaped me into the person I am today, and I am thankful I got to go through life with them.

Thank you to Madalynn, Riley, Craig, David, Aidan, and Dylan. You all are amazing individuals, and you all make me a very proud sister. Love you always.