An Open Letter to My Siblings...
Many people ask if I like having seven brothers and sisters in my life. The answer, of course, is "Yes, I love it!" But why do I love it so much?
To My Younger Siblings,
"I love it because of the memories and experiences we have shared. I love it because we can struggle through the bad days together and glean lessons from them. I love the inside jokes spawned from embarrassing moments that no one else would understand. I love the fact that after all of the little, petty arguments we have, we can continue to forgive each other…because love isn’t 'not fighting;' love is being able to see past a fight and still protect and support each other, in spite of it all!"
"I cherish the emotions I feel as I watch you open up a Christmas present from me, and I see the bright grin on your face. I’m amazed by the way you continue to love me, even when I am in a terrible mood. I adore the feeling of coming home from work and being greeted at the doorway by all of you. I’m astonished by the pressure I feel when I remember that I am one of your examples to follow, and it makes me want to do my best. I’m overwhelmed by the feeling of humility that comes over me when you do my chores as a surprise…because love isn’t just receiving; it’s being able to give as well."
“I become so excited when I think about growing up and being able to take all of you to the movies on my own. I'm crushed when I think about just how much I will miss you guys when I finally move off to wherever it is God has planned for me. I long for the joy we will have when all of us finally have families of our own, and our children can play together. I can hardly wait to see our family sitting together on Thanksgiving, watching our kids restarting the cycle all over again…because love isn’t just remembering the past; it’s being able to look forward to the future."
“I cannot believe how much you have helped to mold me into who I am today. I’ll never be able to number how many times you have encouraged me when I felt hopeless. I’m stunned by how forgiving you have always been when I am so unforgivable. I cannot count the number of times you have pushed me to grow in my walk with Christ and in my day-to-day life. I can’t explain how important you make me feel by doing things as simple as coloring a picture for me, picking a flower from the back yard, or scribbling ‘I love you’ on a piece of paper…because love is not just a word; it’s in what you do every day."
“Through it all —the ups, downs, and in-betweens— you guys have been there for me. Sure, we fight. Yes, I wake up on the wrong side of the bed. Of course, we get mad at one another and say things we don’t mean. But at the end of the day, we still love one another."
“I will definitely mess up. I will have bad days. I will probably say things that I’ll regret. There will be things that I do that will hurt you. There will be times that I act before I think. But know that no matter what happens, I love you. Even when I don’t always act like it, I love you. Even on ‘those days,’ I love you. And I would not trade you for anything in the world."
Love,
-Big Sister
by Hannah Wilson
Hannah is the eldest of 8 children. She adores reading, writing, photography, singing, fuzzy hoodies, messy buns, and sipping hot tea. She dreams of being an author, and cannot wait for the day that she will be able to read her stories to her siblings...