It's hard to remember a time that I was an only child, probably because it was only four years of my life. I do not remember the months that my mother was pregnant for my sister, but I do remember being at the hospital with my family patiently waiting to look in the baby nursery and see this new "sister" of mine. My brother was a little different. I can remember my mom waddling around for months and how ecstatic I was to get a brother.
Ever since then, my siblings have basically been stationary objects for me. I never really remember to think about how different my life would have been without them. I would not have had a sister to share a room with for most of my life, or a little brother to spoil rotten, literally rotten.
Why I am thankful for my sister:
When we were little, she followed me around like a puppy. She always wanted to dress and match me, and it annoyed me to no end. One year for Christmas, we both got My Twin dolls that looked like our baby pictures, and she just had to have one because I got one, even though hers was the same size as her. But as I grew up I came to realize that she's my best friend. She's literally been with me through everything, through all of our fights, laughs, and tears.
When I was five, I got in a wreck with my parents and little sister. I can still remember spinning and reaching for my sister on the side of me. Shortly after, we were leaving with my grandparents and I can remember holding her as she cried in my lap because she did not know what was happening, neither did I but it was not exactly the same.
She has always taught me to be so caring towards everyone. She's been there to join in on all of my trends, and obsessions. The four year difference between us is often something that we forget, until someone asks us if we are twins. She is a little sister to all of my best friends, and I'm a big sister to all of her best friends. I can give her and her friends advice on life, boys, or anything that I would have done differently, and she can tell me how it is and make things really clear because she sees things so simply. I really do not know what I would do with out her. I need her to bring me back to reality, and I hope I can always do the same for her.
Why I am thankful for my brother:
Well, other than the fact that when he was born, it was a very alien concept. I was seven and my sister was three when our little brother was born; therefore, we really did not know what made him different from us. But after the first time we watched my dad change my little brothers diaper and pee literally projected through the air, we quickly found out what made him different from us.
He was a cowboy and indian child. We grew up being best friends with Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and teaching him the different breeds of horses from his giant horse encyclopedia as a bedtime story. He was a whole different concept for us, being that he was a boy. When he just figured out he could pee outside, he would stand in the front yard and pee at the road as cars honked in laughter. Since then, he's been through many stages, but he is still the same little brother that I taught to walk, so he could keep up with us.
He teaches me to be patient every day, and I love him for it. He always teaches me to be open to change, because he's growing up in a slightly different world than I did, but that does not mean it's a bad thing. I know that he will be a great man and a great little cowboy to me, always.
Thank you, mom and dad, for giving me siblings because I do not know what I would do without them.
