From a young age we are all taught to “respect our elders.” That creed has always been something I live by. Those older than us teach us so much about life, things that we can’t learn from anyone else. However, I have found in my life that there are some people younger than I who have taught me more then I think I could ever learn from another…my little sisters.
I like to think that I have taught them a thing or two, but being away from them at college I have come to realize just how much I have learned from them.
Who you really are is good enough …
A lot of things that we do in life are for other people whether it be the way we act, or the places we go. One of the coolest things about siblings is that you do not ever have to be anything or anyone but exactly who you are. They never expect you to be “on” all the time, because they aren’t either. You never ever have to try to impress them, because they have already seen you at your worst. It’s a reassuring feeling to know that there is a person in this world who truly knows you inside and out and still loves you. They taught me that whoever the world tries to make me, I can still be me.
Time doesn’t have to change anything…
Whenever I go home, I kind of expect to be treated like royalty (which never happens). While my sisters always greet me with excitement, after a few minutes together we are already arguing over where to eat or what to watch on TV. I’m thankful for this normality. It takes a special kind of person to be able to pick up right where you left off, and sisters can do that, no matter what has happened or how long it’s been. They taught me that time doesn’t change situations, we do.
Hearing the truth is refreshing…
Someone who tells you exactly how it is, is not something you find everyday. Most of the time, what we want to hear and what we need to hear are not the same things. Sisters really have nothing to lose. If you get mad at them you can’t just stop talking to them…because they are family. Hearing the brutally honest truth can be tough, but sometimes we need that. They taught me that no matter how hard it is to hear, someone will always be there to say it.
Sometimes you have to let go…
I think anyone who has siblings would agree that you’d do just about anything for them. I feel protective over them because they are such a huge part of who I am. Growing up I know I made mistakes, mistakes I wish I wouldn’t have and I don’t want to let them do the same…but sometimes they have to. It’s hard for me, as my sisters grow up, to watch them make some of the same mistakes I did and I want to do everything in my power to stop them from making them. I have learned that sometimes, them learning a lesson from their screw-ups is more valuable than me interfering. They taught me that sometimes sitting back and saying nothing is the most effective way to learn.
It might be a bad day, but it’s not a bad life…
No matter what I face throughout the day, a bad test grade, an annoying professor, or if I just feel like the world is against me, I have two people that are the best reminder of all that is good in this life. Family has a way of helping those bad days not seem so bad and putting it all in perspective. The life lessons that I continue to learn from them will help me as I navigate this journey called life and I am thankful to have little sisters along for the ride.
Sources:
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