Sisters

Sometimes, I think that the only reason people have siblings is so they can learn what it is like to completely love someone they don't like. I'm sure everyone who has a sibling, or two, knows what I'm talking about. I, myself, have an older brother and two younger sisters. On occasion, I wish to be an only child. I'm sure I would have hated being an only child, but it's hard to appreciate something that conficts with you so much.

First of all, I should explain that my family dynamics is a little strange. My brother is the oldest, but he acts more like the baby of the family should. He's the comedian, the one everyone loves to have at the party. My littlest sister, the real baby of the family, acts more like the oldest. She is the trailblazer, the one who kicks butt and doesn't take names. She's also the one I conflict with the most.

Don't get me wrong, I love my sister. In some ways, I envy her the very things I dislike about her. She always gets what she want. She doesn't take the backseat to anyone or anything. She tells everyone exactly what is on her mind. She doesn't smooth it over to protect feelings, she just states the facts as she sees them. I'm just not like that. I don't always get what I want. I worry about providing the things that others need first. I often take the backseat. There are just bigger things in this world than myself. I rarely unload on people when they upset me. Words can hurt as much, if not more, than weapons. See the conflict?

Honestly, I don't know if I would've had anything to do with her, were I not kin to her. We have two completely different views of the world. Her view is very black and white. My view is very shades of grey. Still, I learned a few things about her from growing up with her that make it easy to love her. She can be very giving. She is very protective of her family. She strives to do the right thing, even if it's only right in her mind. The thing I love the most, however, is that despite the fact that she acts so tough, she's very sensitive to the views of others. Who doesn't love seeing a raging monster turn into a cream puff?

I guess this sibling thing isn't so bad. Sure, I don't always get along with them. I don't even like them on a regular basis. I can say that I will always love them, and they have made me more tolerant of differences. I'll also say that I'm glad my sister is almost through with her visit back home. Two weeks down, one more to go! After that, we send her back to her husband. Now him, I like. It might just be because he moved my sister to Maryland. What a guy!