But, fear not parents and others reading this...David and I are just like any other sibling pair, we fight (over ridiculous things), sometimes we're collectively lazy, and don't do what our parents tell us to do. We've conned baby-sitters together. We've covered for each other, and we've ratted each other out.
But there are also many joys in our siblingship! Moments that I would not give up for anything. So for your enjoyment (and possibly David's embarrassment) here are a few highlights!
1. The Early Days
There are so many moments to look back on! July 30th was a great day for me! I got to go to Vacation Bible School and Chuck E Cheese...and I got to meet David! I remember stopping at Walgreens with my dad to pick something up for my new brother - an angel bear. I still have the angel bear - somehow over the years it ended up in my room. Life was great! I had an in-home best friend. Someone who wanted to hang out with me all the time (or was forced to hang out with me, it depends on how you look at it).
Halloween 1996
2. Learning Lessons Together
Another great thing about having a sibling is that you get to learn some life lessons together. Or sometimes one of you gets the life lesson, and the other one observes and takes note :) I won't give you an exhaustive list of the lessons we've learned over the years. There is one that stands out in my mind. In the house we grew up in at the beginning of our childhood there was a tiny staircase - not long enough to be a spiral staircase, but it did twist once. Every night at bed time David and I would barrel up the stairs together. I had the advantage of being bigger and having more strength. David had the advantage of being tiny which gave him the ability to maneuver past me. Every time we charged up those stairs, my dad would be behind us saying "It's not a competition." My dad's famous phrase. His main goal was to prevent us from critically injuring each other as we raced up the stairs. But those words ring true in so many ways. It's not a competition - we are loved equally and wholly by our parents. It's not a competition if you are living by God's standards. The world will tell you it is, but in God's eyes you make it doesn't matter when you make it to the top of the stairs.
3. Navigating Life Together
One time, David and I decided to take on the Dawson prairie at Green Lake. And when you aren't as tall as the prairie grass, that's a big deal. We told our parents to scram, and that we would meet them on the other side. Five minutes later we were both lost and in tears. But we were lost and in tears together. We did get out of the field eventually. And now that we're both tall enough to see over the grass, we laugh about that time that we had a meltdown in the prairie. But we had each other. We didn't leave each other's sides. That was what mattered.
Madison, WI (circa 2001)
4. Watching Each Other Grow Up
True, David has only been around for 17.5 of my 21.5 years. But nevertheless, he has watched me grow up, graduate high school, make it through college (almost, let's not jinx it)! And I have had the joy of watching him grow up. I've watched him play a myriad of instruments (piano, cello, trumpet...) and finally find his calling to be a drummer! He watched me go to prom, and then I got to watch him do the same four years later. It is fun to have a partner to reminisce with and talk about the early years. And it is also fun to have a partner to grow up with.
So today, I am joyful about and thankful for my brother and all of the moments we've had together along the way!
Green Lake 2013
~SP
No comments:
Post a Comment