Divorce is not easy, fun or quick. It's something that drains the energy out of everyone involved. It takes time for it to be official but the time spent healing afterward is indefinite. I know one of the hardest parts for me is watching the toll that it takes on my siblings.

To my siblings,

This isn't something that we saw coming or expected. We lived a happy life, all together. We took vacations and road trips; we had family dinners and game nights. We spent the holidays together, we went to church together and we prayed over all of our meals as a family. Our family had inside jokes and even though we fought like hell sometimes, our home was consistently filled with love and laughter. There were moments where I wanted to kill you because you annoyed me, but at the end of the day, I had your back no matter what challenges came our way. It wasn't until our lives were turned upside down that we truly realized how important our relationships were. Yeah, we were siblings and there was literally nothing we could do about it —

but then our parents got divorced and all of the sudden we needed each other now more than ever.

Being your older sister means I am supposed to protect you, teach you, care for you and guide you. This divorce made me feel helpless because I didn't think there was anything I could do. I felt like I was losing you. But then I realized something: no matter what anyone says or thinks, we will always be family. You will always be my little brother and sister. To this day, I promise to protect you and be there for you, no matter what life throws our way.

I hate that I have had to watch you suffer because of the divorce and I wish that I could make things better. I hate watching the toll that it has taken on you guys and what you continually have to deal with on a daily basis. I hate that our family couldn't stay together and that our normal life was shattered. I hate that we go home to a house that doesn't feel the same anymore —

a place that used to always be filled with family and friends is now a little less full. Maybe it's because we've grown up and some of us have moved out, but just because you're not down the hall anymore doesn't make our relationship any less of a priority to me. In fact, now more than ever, I value our relationships. You guys are my best friends and no matter the status of our family, that will always be true.

Family is family. I hope you stop feeling the pain of the past and are able to concentrate on the future. Like I said, divorce isn't easy but because of y'all, we're going to be okay.

With love from the moon and back,

Your big sister.