There’s a lot of things in life that we are thankful for and that we appreciate daily. From the necessities like food and water to the materialistic things like the type of phone you have. One thing I am thankful for on a daily basis that I am not as vocal about is my brothers and sisters. Being the second oldest of five allowed me to experience being both a little and a big sister, and I count myself lucky that I was given that chance. By playing both roles throughout my life, I learned how important I am to my siblings, and how extremely important they are to me. I have learned so much through them and hope the lessons never end because they help me get through tough times in life and be happy for the good times too.
Even if I’m not as close to some of my siblings as I am others, I still love them all and only want them to live the best life they can. Through watching my older brother grow up I learned that respect is earned instead of handed out. He taught me that people have to work for your respect because some people don’t deserve it in the end. Through his relationships with people, I have seen second-hand multiple scenarios that have caused someone to lose their chance at gaining respect, and how horribly it can affect the relationship in the long run. This was a lesson I wouldn’t learn in school and was happy to learn it from my brother because it gave the lesson more value. If I didn’t use what he taught me whenever I was meeting someone new, then I would not be making him proud because then I would be letting people walk all over me.
Being a big sister has taught me more than anything else because I have three people looking up to me as opposed to one. With each of these three wonderful people growing at different paces while they are at different stages in their life, they constantly keep me on my toes. I have to stay on top of what I’m doing and saying daily to be a good role model for each of them. I have to make sure they are living their lives to their fullest potential. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes my older brother or I have made in our lives; instead, I want them to learn from our mistakes and avoid making the same ones at all costs. I only want what’s best for them and for them to live full, healthy and brilliant lives. I will always be there to tell them my stories of failure and of triumph when they’re ready, so they know they are never alone if they feel so at any point in their life.
My siblings are the biggest blessing in my life because they are a part of me unconditionally and I wouldn’t want it any other way. They have saved me in more ways than one, and I just hope I can return the favor as much as I possibly can throughout their lives. They have taught me that everyone makes mistakes and that not all mistakes cause permanent damage, and I will never be able to thank them enough for that.
