When I was eight, my brother was seventeen and he was dating his first, and only, serious girlfriend. As my brother fell in love, so did I. Holly became a role model, a friend, and eventually a sister.
When I was twelve, my sister started dating David. Once again, as my sister fell in love, so did I. David watched me live through hard times and though he never said much, what he did say pushed me to get better.
My brother, Blake, is nine years older than me. That means he graduated high school when I was in the third grade, and five years later as I was learning how to put on makeup he was applying for a real adult job. My sister, Lauren, is six years older than me, and we fought nearly every time we saw each other until she moved out. Now I don’t know what I would do if she wasn’t around to help me when I’m stuck.
I learned a lot from my siblings but I think the most important thing is something they never intended to teach. My siblings showed me exactly what love looks like, what it looks like to love through fun times and hard times, through distance, and through both high school and college. I wish I had paid more attention to their lessons when I was in high school, but now that I’m a little older, I see the value in everything they did. I see why their marriages work and why their relationships have never been on again, off again.
From my sister I learned that it’s okay to be forward, it’s okay to put yourself out there, and it’s okay to initiate with the person you like. I watched her come on too strong a few times in high school, but when she met David, even though she was forward, it didn’t scare him off (I’ve heard it nearly did). My sister is more attentive to the needs of others than anyone I have ever met, watching her love David and know just what he needs has been incredible.
From my brother I learned what strong truly is. I watched him love his wife through cancer, twice. Before their second wedding anniversary my brother’s marriage was more complicated, stressful, and love filled than most. I know the cancer was hard on my brother but not once did he complain, not once did he say he was tired, or stressed, or scared, at least not when I was around. I’m sure he felt those things, but his priority was never himself, that is love.
The boy I fall in love with has a lot to live up to, but because of my siblings, I know that I won’t settle for less than the love I’ve been taught to expect,
My siblings taught me more about life than they will ever know.
