What Do You Love About Your Siblings?

Ahhh, siblings. Is there any other relationship that is as complex and deep and perfect and loving as the relationship we have with our siblings?

Today is National Siblings Day, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t post about the wonders of my sibling. As I’m sure you all can imagine, I’m a pretty big fan of Janelle. She’s not only my sister, but she’s also my best friend. From the moment she was born, actually, as you can tell from the photo above. We’ve always been close, and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me! I’ve seen sisters who struggle with their relationship and who are estranged, and I’m thankful that we’ve never been in that position.

Honestly, I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t talk to her every day. Many a time, I’ll send her a random text during the day and ask, “Want to hang out later?” I’m sure she probably rolls her eyes sometimes because, yes, I can be a bit clinging and emotional (obviously!), but she always indulges me.

And because today is all about celebrating MY SISTER and her awesomeness, here are a few more things I love about her…

• She can read my mind like no one else: Seriously, sometimes all it takes is a look at each other and we can tell what the other one is thinking. Is there such a thing as Sister ESP? Because we totally have that!
• She makes me laugh: She probably won’t agree with me, but she’s really, really funny!! It helps that we laugh at the same things, like when we watch the hilarious show Baskets together!
• She’s gentle and kind: If I’m being honest, she’s a lot more gentle than I am. I can be, umm, outspoken, but she has a peaceful calm about her. I’d say we balance each other out pretty well.
• She’s so supportive: She knows just what to say to make me feel better. She’s the type of person who actually listens to what you’re saying instead of just hears it. She validates your feelings and never judges you. Especially when my mom was in Europe last summer, Janelle was my anchor; I couldn’t have gotten through the week without her.
• She’s never indulged my disability: That may sound harsh, but it’s been exactly what I’ve needed. She’s never let me play the victim or pretend I can’t do something because of my disability. She’s always treated me like a person, not a disabled person, and I appreciate that she sees the real me.
• But she DOES indulge me when I talk about Frozen: Because, HELLO, it’s the best sister movie ever!! Janelle and I are just like Elsa and Anna!

So where would I be without Janelle? I’m not quite sure, and part of me doesn’t even want to find out. I just hope I’m as good of a sister to her as she is to me. She’s set quite the high bar! I hope she knows just how wonderful she is — and yes, she’s probably reading this because I sent her the link to this post!!!

What do you love about your siblings, friends? What special rituals do you have? What has brought you close to them? And, any tips to keep that connection strong? Here’s to siblings and the special role they play in our lives! #SiblingPride… xoxo