I’ve learned that three becomes quite a large number.

Three sets of eyes and ears on the prowl for fodder to be used against you in fights mediated by parents, three pairs of arms and legs that flail uncommonly fast when food or television remotes or cash or essentially anything of value to you is involved, three voices capable of a lavish, operatic resonance coveted by singers, public speakers, and haunted house ghouls. Having three siblings means that the number is never simply three. Three begins to multiply. And three multiplies fast.

I’ve learned that there is no such thing as physical personal space or time.

Say goodbye to door knocks, and for good measure, blow a farewell kiss to door locks. Having been on both sides of a sealed door, I can attest to the fact that with faith, trust, and the right kind of motivation, there is always a way in. You might have to get a little creative - anything from smashing the handle with a soon-to-be-bruised fist at just the right angle to borrowing a screwdriver for a “school project” and yanking that thing right off its hinges - but it will budge (much to the owner’s imminent dismay).

Beauty sleep and “me” time will never be assimilated into the official sibling vocabulary.

If your brother or sister needs a ride and you have keys and a heartbeat, up you’ll go. If your sister needs to borrow an article of clothing, there will be no question for approval attached. If your brother “forgets” to do the dishes and you’re the first person in the parental line of sight, you’re up to bat. And here’s the thing: you’ll fight it, guns blazing and screeches primed, but you’ll let it all happen. You’re family. The code won’t allow for anything less.

I’ve learned that siblings share everything.

No, not just clothes. Not just money that they’ll conveniently forget to return. Interests, emotions, loves, you’ll find a common thread amongst them all. As unathletic as my arts-minded, winded-walking-up-the-stairs soul has always been, I’ve rarely screamed so loud in my life as watching my brother race down the football field for a touchdown in high school.

As readily as it seems like she ignores every single (insert expletive here) word that’s ever come out of my mouth, I’ve rarely felt such a swell of pride and joy fill my being as when I watched my sister take a bow after a theatrical performance. As quickly as rush hour traffic at a standstill gets OLD, I’ve rarely smiled so wide as when I watch my youngest sister sprint up to my car at carpool, jumping at the chance to tell me about what she’d learned that day.

What they love, you love.

No matter what happens, you love them. For as big the part of your heart as they take up, it’s only natural that what looms large in their lives will loom large in yours as well.

I’ve learned that giving and receiving advice is an occupational hazard.

It doesn’t take much to realize that if they needed you, you’d put your life on hold for them. It doesn’t take any convincing to know they’d do the same for you. You can be fighting in one instance and trading guidance in the next. Information is passed down the line and provided when needed. My older brother walked me through the terrifying experiences of first-semester college life. I walked my younger sister through the vast and ominous world of high school. My sister prepared my youngest sister for the ins and outs of middle school.

You are unafraid to call your siblings out for stupidity, for absurd behavior, for handling situations incorrectly. They will do the very same for you. You trust their judgment because they have no reason to lie to you. They won’t sugarcoat your failures. They won’t undercut your successes. They know you far better than most.

I’ve learned what it means to love someone like family.

Because loving anyone like you love your siblings is a rare and incredible occurrence. Your siblings are allowed to know you like most people never will. They’ve seen you at your worst and at your best; they know the difference and how to help you through either. They are your first line of defense and your biggest support, carrying you through the terrors of life just as you carry them. They make you laugh, make you cry, and make you realize that you have not and never will be alone. And that is an ineffably priceless gift.

Alex, Katie, and Olivia, I love you guys.