” The Fortunate Sibling”

I love my siblings; I really do love them so much. They’re all different, and it’s funny how we all have our own quirks and VERY different personalities, yet in some ways we are the same. I think it’s because we grew up in the same house, or maybe it’s just genetic. Sometimes we’re so similar and it’s astonishing and you look and think to yourself, wow, I do that too. And you really don’t know why, you can’t trace it back to a place of origin. In some ways 2 of us are the same and the other 2 are not. In some ways 3 of us are the same and the other is not. But it all starts with people growing up together and loving each other no matter what. And then we all go out in the world and take what we know and make our own way. We change and grow and marry into other families. Then we learn more and grow more.

When we come together, we are still those 4 kids that grew up in that house as a family loving each other. The holidays are here, and I look forward to gathering with my family and I can’t imagine it any other way. If you are like me, take a moment to realize that not everyone is so blessed. Some families have lost someone, and the burden is still heavy. Some families don’t get along for reasons that are truly impossible for others to understand.

If you are as blessed as me, the next time you gather with your loved ones, I challenge you to take a couple of seconds to tell each other that you are thankful that you are close. Even if you just say that. Think about how lucky you are and give thanks. What greater gift could you possibly give?