I am the middle child. I also am the only girl.When I was younger and told anyone that, they pitied me.I didn’t realize how lucky I was until I was in middle school, when I knew I could have never asked for better siblings. I would never have become who I am today without you guys.

Thanks for being my constant Player 1.

At an early age, I (involuntarily) learned to put other people before myself. You always wanted to be first players, and I didn’t care that much, so I learned not to argue. Eventually, I figured out that it didn’t matter that much, and that I was just happy to be playing.

Thanks for arguing with me over nothing...

I got a lot of negative feelings and teenage angst out without really hurting anyone. It was awesome.

… and then being cool with me five minutes later.

We’d yell at each other, call each other names, and then part ways. After our argument (or fistfight) over who got to the remote first, one of us would walk out of the room. We’d come back in five minutes, sit on the couch, and watch whatever was on without complaining…much. Early on, I learned that love doesn’t really hold grudges, and that anyone who truly loves me will never hold an argument as an excuse to treat me badly.

Thanks for insulting me.

‘Cow,’ ‘Thunder Thighs,’ and numerous other names, and even more random habits to make fun of. All the name calling and ridicule only served as means to remind me that I should never take myself too seriously. This is a lesson that I could never truly repay you for, as it comes into play almost every day of my life. It also served to show me that just because someone says something, doesn’t mean they’re serious (at least if they care about me). Which reminds me….

Thanks for being protective.

You knew I didn’t take your insults seriously. You could make fun of me all you wanted without it being a problem. But, if someone else were to insult me, you’d support me. I appreciate all the times you stuck up for me, even in the weird ways that you did.

Thanks for annoying me. Always.

Coming in my room without knocking, opening the door when I was in the bathroom as you walked by, singing a half step off key to my music, repeating everything I said rather than responding…You used to get on my nerves, but then we learned to be annoying together, teaming up to annoy mom. Now, my tolerance level is so high, and it takes a lot to really annoy me. This was very helpful when I moved to college; having a roommate was a big change, but this made it a lot easier.

Thanks for never leaving me alone.

When you saw that I was sad, you’d make sure to crack a joke, talk with me, or even just sit in the same room as me. I could have alone time without necessarily being alone, and it was quite refreshing. I knew you were there for me, even though we didn’t always talk about what was wrong.

I could go on, on, and on with things that I could never thank you enough for. When I talk about life with you two to my friends, or anyone I meet, I can’t stop beaming. You make me so happy, and I am filled with joy whenever we are with each other, even if we are arguing. People always say that our family sounds fun. They’re right; we are fun. And I have you two to thank for it. Thanks for helping me become…me.