Content warning: This piece mentions eating disorders. On Oct. 20, figure skater Amber Glenn dedicated her Week 6 Dancing with the Stars dance to her sister, Brooke — and I was in tears. Not just because it was to Sia’s most heart-wrenching song, “Breathe Me”, or because it was the most beautifully choreographed contemporary trio I’ve ever seen, but because it reminded me of my relationship with my sister.
Now, it’s no surprise that Pasha Pashkov whipped up a dance as emotionally moving and visually stunning as it was — but what made it so special was the bond that Amber and her younger sister, Brooke, share. You could feel it through the screen: every move, every embrace, every look the two shared felt deeply personal — like we were watching them tell a story only they could understand. And really, that’s what sisterhood is all about.
You never truly know what it’s like to have a sister unless you’ve experienced it. It’s having someone who remembers every version of you — even the ones you don’t remember. Someone who can make you laugh so hard your stomach hurts. Someone you can be absolutely silly around, and genuinely yourself, yet still feel completely understood (and a little judged, but the kind of judgement you really don’t care about).
My sister has always brought the light out of me. Even as kids, when I was upset or angry or frustrated, she made me feel better — whether she was trying to or not.
But more than that, having a sister means having an endless amount of support by your side. And Amber’s dance really showed me that: sometimes, it takes seeing someone you love at their lowest to truly understand how much they need you — and just how much you need them, too. And that’s what resonated with me most.
Because my younger sister and I are only a year apart, we’ve always been inseparable, whether we liked it or not. We did everything together (and I mean, everything) — and while it may have taken time to get there, we eventually reached the moment where we realized we actually wanted to hang out with each other. And we can owe a lot of it to our own personal struggles.
Before her dance, Amber opened up about her struggles with mental illness and an eating disorder. At just 16, Amber confesses she was admitted for inpatient mental health treatment, citing depressive episodes and extreme anxiety. Before that, Amber admits that she and Brooke weren’t super close: Amber’s life was figure skating, and Brooke focused on her social life. But Amber’s deteriorating mental health, at the time, is something that brought them closer together. During that time, Brooke showed up for Amber and helped her fight her demons.
At one point in the dance, Amber does a backbend to seemingly signify a moment where she was close to giving up. That’s when Brooke steps in, and (figuratively and literally) lifts her up. This kind of breakthrough in a sibling, especially sister, relationship is something I think happens to everyone in some form or capacity: sisterhood isn’t always about being inseparable or having everything in common. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s about realizing that the person who annoyed you (and who you maybe screamed at a few too many times) can, and will, become the most important person in your life.
My sister has always brought the light out of me. Even as kids, when I was upset or angry or frustrated, she made me feel better — whether she was trying to or not. And now, living long-distance from her, there’s really nothing else I long for than a few laughs with her.
Everyone goes through their own battles — and Amber’s dance reminded me that there’s truly no one else I’d rather tackle them with than my sister.
If you or someone you know has an eating disorder and needs help, call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 1-800-931-2237, text 741741, or chat online with a Helpline volunteer here.
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.