Sister, sister

I know a girl, let's call her Jen, who did not like her sister. And at a certain point, Jen never ever thought she'd be friends with her sister again. But then that all changed. Despite this short introduction, we'll come back to Jen.

Growing up as the middle child of three girls was not as bad as it could've been. Whenever disagreements arose, I was often referred to as the peacemaker among my sisters and despite what people say about the middle kid being the forgotten child, I won't lie, occasionally it would be that way, but most of the time I saw myself as the good stuff in the middle of an Oreo. But it was when I started going to school that my relationship with my sisters started to change.

I was homeschooled all the way up until 8th grade, when I went to a private, Catholic school. After this I went to a private, protestant school for two years of high school, followed by a year in public school, which is where my relationship with my sisters started to go sour, mainly with my younger sister. As kindly as I can say it, I was convinced that going to a public school had influenced her sweet personality to shift into a behavior that I despised so much so that she was unbearable to be around. I might even go so far as to say that I was happy when she went away to college.

Yet, being the person that I am, I did miss her and when my older sister moved out, I felt the solitude even more. But I was one-hundred percent certain that we would never be as close as we had been. Her public school experience had damaged her mentally and emotionally and the darling little chica that once gave hugs to everyone she met was abruptly distant and detached from her family.

It wasn't until very recently, that she came home a different person. She had a newfound love for Jesus Christ on a deeper more personal level, so much so that I could hardly believe this was the girl that had always been my interruptive, energetic little sister. Instead of listening to hardcore rap all the time, she started listening to far more wholesome music because it was what she wanted to live. She figured out what she wants in a future spouse. She's a beautiful witness to everyone she meets through her unique personality, her sunny smile, and her faith in God. Suffice it to say, I have never been closer with her than I am now.

After such a drastic shift in my sister's character, is it any surprise that I was able to befriend her again? What if she never changed and we were to forever remain strictly family acquaintances? Both of my sisters are unique in their own way and I honestly can imagine life without them. I've been the only daughter in my home for roughly a year and a half and although it has it's perks and I love spending time with my parents, I find that when my sister(s) come home, I am much more lively and I miss their presence when they go again.

I know it is not easy for some to get along with their brothers and sisters, especially in such a familial-ly fractured society. But when one's parents are gone, who will you have left? Your siblings. They know you better, will be around longer, and it's much more comforting to know that someone's got your back. And in case you didn't figure it out, I was Jen.

Sisters...

Sisters...

There were never such

~Olivia