WE ARE FAMILY!!!

My relationship with my family is a series of hills and valleys. That is to say that we have moments where we are so close and then there are those moments that we couldn't be more distant from each other. Ultmately though, I know that in the end we love each other and will be there for each other no matter what.

I think this is true of MOST families - not all but most. We all have the brother or sister that can sometimes grate on our nerves. They can be too controlling, too bossy, too lazy, lack structure. The fact is that no two people are alike and just because they come from the same gene pool - well that can make even more of a difference.

I have found that most of my understanding of my family has come with age. As teenagers my sister and I fought constantly. I was always capable of eliciting a reaction out of my sister and she was always eager to oblige. The fact was that my sister was always the older more 'responsible' one. She seemed to care more about things like cleaning, laundry, clothes etc. I was living in my head. So of course we misunderstood each other most of the time.

In my twenties I finally felt a real connection with my sister. I still noticed the differences but now we were both going to different schools and living in different cities. It was then that I realized how much I missed her. Most of all I missed someone that understood me. She had lived in the same house, had the same upbringing, had the same experiences. We always had that between us. I also missed having my big sister around to lean on.

My relationshiop with my mother has grown immensely since I have entered my thirties. Yes we too have our moments but now that I am a mother and I am experiencing a bit of adulthood myself I am starting to understand some of the decisions she has made over the years and the difficulties she as faced. All the while raising 2 girls.

I only hope that my girls appreciate one another and see the value in each other BEFORE they are in their twenties. I hope they know how important a sister is both now and in the future. And I hope that one day my girls will understand the decisions I have had to make as a mother.

So the next time your brother or sister is trying to take over your life or not pulling their weight at the next family event, try to imagine what it would be like if that person was not there at all. Imagine how different your life would be. Imagine how empty. Grab your sibling and say 'I love you...just the way you are." and then tell them to give you back the sweater they borrowed in 1993 because it's yours and she never asked if she could HAVE IT!!! hahaha-ish