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Siblings.
Growing up, I remember my Mom explaining to me (normally after a fight with my brother or sister, or after me complaining about something I needed to do for them) that your siblings are the people who will be with you for the rest of your life. That someday after my parents pass away, they will be the people I truly have left. Of course I have Mr. Bean, of course I have fabulous friends, but my FIRST friends, my FIRST partners in crime, my blood are my brother and sister. As a kid I might have rolled my eyes at my Mom... but now, those words are held so close to my heart.
As we grew up the three of us had our share of arguments but we also were very very close. Infamous stories of me reading to Charlie crib side, or Katie sitting patiently while Charlie took a nap on her lap. Memories flood my mind of adventures and games. Mishaps and ridiculousness. Charlie and Katie are my best friends. I have so much pride when I look at, talk about, or think about them... it makes it hard for me to talk, because of the squeezing in my throat. And talking about them makes it hard for me to breathe because of the squeezing in my chest. My love for them is possibly ridiculous - though not as ridiculous as my love for this creature.
But that's besides the point.
Charlie
Katie
It breaks my heart. My little baby sister who I think everything of... has no clue of how awesome she is.
I look around and see a lot of broken relationships. Some of siblings in their 40s and 50s. Some of siblings my age. It makes me wonder how people - siblings - can stand to live that way. At what point in time did some disagreement become more important than a relationship? The other weekend at a family wedding, Mr. Bean's grandfather walked up to his sister and threw his arm around her. There they stood and talked for quite a while. Two silver haired wrinkled old friends. They shared more in common than I could ever understand. There were more stories and feelings than we could ever tell. Every year my Grandmother gets together with her two brothers and their wives for a week vacation. The age span, let alone geographical gap, between them is great in some instances, but the bond is stronger than ever.
Every relationship has some ups and downs. There are times when I will go a while without talking to one of my siblings. But that is the beauty of the relationship. As soon as we are together its like we never were apart. I cannot begin to thank my parents enough for the gift they gave me in both Charlie and Kate. Who else has been there through literally everything? Every fight? Every milestone? Every joy? Who else knows what it means when I make reference to "Mr. Security" or understands the great "Africa project" triumph? Who else knows the feelings in our house after Bear was put down? Or remembers the night all three of us slept in bed together with a baseball bat with every light in the house on until Mom and Dad got home? Who can look at each other and joke about someone getting into an accident with someone else's car? Or knows the secret shenanigans that we still haven't told Mom and Dad about yet? Who are the first people to know the recent exciting news or the current heartbreak? They know me inside and out. They understand more than anyone ever will.
If a sibling can't love you for who you are. Forgive you for what you have done. Laugh at you, cry with you, turn to you, or be there for you - who can?
Valentines Day post #4 - love of siblings. I cannot imagine life without mine - tell me THE CRAZIEST THING YOU AND YOUR SIBLING EVER DID and then go tell them that you love them... the Valentine's tradition of telling someone you love them does not have to be limited to February 14th
Growing up, I remember my Mom explaining to me (normally after a fight with my brother or sister, or after me complaining about something I needed to do for them) that your siblings are the people who will be with you for the rest of your life. That someday after my parents pass away, they will be the people I truly have left. Of course I have Mr. Bean, of course I have fabulous friends, but my FIRST friends, my FIRST partners in crime, my blood are my brother and sister. As a kid I might have rolled my eyes at my Mom... but now, those words are held so close to my heart.
As we grew up the three of us had our share of arguments but we also were very very close. Infamous stories of me reading to Charlie crib side, or Katie sitting patiently while Charlie took a nap on her lap. Memories flood my mind of adventures and games. Mishaps and ridiculousness. Charlie and Katie are my best friends. I have so much pride when I look at, talk about, or think about them... it makes it hard for me to talk, because of the squeezing in my throat. And talking about them makes it hard for me to breathe because of the squeezing in my chest. My love for them is possibly ridiculous - though not as ridiculous as my love for this creature.
But that's besides the point.
Siblings-the definition that comprises love, strife, competition and forever friends.
- Byron Pulsifer
Charlie
Charlie is the thinker of the family. I mean, we are all thinkers in some way... but Charlie got the hard core brains of the family. It's ok. Katie and I both know it. He's the "aerospace engineer". I cant even really define aerospace engineer. He had those left brain qualities of music and art, but you could tell he came at it with a completely different perspective, or from a different point... I'm not sure. He's always been just more analytical. He makes schedules and sticks to them. I'm not sure if he procrastinates but it doesn't seem like he would. He is good at getting work done so that he can play later. He can remain committed to a work out regimen. Yeah, we differ a lot. And oh! We are opposites on politics (most of the time) and religion (all of the time). And then we bicker. And then we make up and he laughs/wrestles/"beats me up". I'm a wimp. Charlie isn't. The best part is, no matter what we disagree on, he never holds it against me. He has his opinions and I have mine, and we don't let them get in the way of us, our relationship, or our friendship.
Charlie is a joker. He loves movies like "Blazing Saddles" or "Spaceballs". He likes to play jokes and have fun. He likes to go on adventures and try new things. He skis, runs, rides a motorcycle. He cooks! Ladies- he's a catch. Let me be honest. As his sister, I've seen him plan/prepare/do things for his girlfriend - he's a romantic. He is the eternal host - he likes to throw the parties, plan the trips, and get people together. For being such a nerd its nice to know that he's social. :)
In general, I don't think you will ever find a nicer guy.
Katie
Katie kills me. She is so pretty.
But she doesn't know it. So smart, but doesn't feel it. So good, but cant believe it. Katie is the queen at working with little kids. I mean, I love children and I think I do pretty well with them. But Kate is better. She's gentle and patient. She has a huge heart. I cannot wait for her to be the aunt to my babies. Katie just has a gentleness about her. She was always my comfort. I'm the worrier but as a little kid snuggling up to my sister in the middle of the night always made things better. Even now, she listens to my problems - comforts my tears - and tells me to get over whatever it is I am scared of.
She's sassy too. When Kate was little my parents called her the bulldog. She slept with a deep frown that made her little chubby cheeks somewhat bulldog-esque. But also, she was stubborn. When Katie was ready for bed, she just went there. When she wanted something she's work for it. She is feisty. You should have seen her play soccer. Or tennis. Determination. Kate works so hard at her job. In situations where people are just too much, or clients are unbearable, she sticks in there fighting it out.
Look at this picture. Do you see the look in her eyes. She's saying, "Annie, knock it off. I mean it."
Katie does NOT like getting her picture taken.
But sometimes I outlast her and get a good picture. Older sisters can be persistently annoying - especially when they want something from their younger siblings.
___________________________________________
I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at.
- Maya Angelou
I look around and see a lot of broken relationships. Some of siblings in their 40s and 50s. Some of siblings my age. It makes me wonder how people - siblings - can stand to live that way. At what point in time did some disagreement become more important than a relationship? The other weekend at a family wedding, Mr. Bean's grandfather walked up to his sister and threw his arm around her. There they stood and talked for quite a while. Two silver haired wrinkled old friends. They shared more in common than I could ever understand. There were more stories and feelings than we could ever tell. Every year my Grandmother gets together with her two brothers and their wives for a week vacation. The age span, let alone geographical gap, between them is great in some instances, but the bond is stronger than ever.
Every relationship has some ups and downs. There are times when I will go a while without talking to one of my siblings. But that is the beauty of the relationship. As soon as we are together its like we never were apart. I cannot begin to thank my parents enough for the gift they gave me in both Charlie and Kate. Who else has been there through literally everything? Every fight? Every milestone? Every joy? Who else knows what it means when I make reference to "Mr. Security" or understands the great "Africa project" triumph? Who else knows the feelings in our house after Bear was put down? Or remembers the night all three of us slept in bed together with a baseball bat with every light in the house on until Mom and Dad got home? Who can look at each other and joke about someone getting into an accident with someone else's car? Or knows the secret shenanigans that we still haven't told Mom and Dad about yet? Who are the first people to know the recent exciting news or the current heartbreak? They know me inside and out. They understand more than anyone ever will.
If a sibling can't love you for who you are. Forgive you for what you have done. Laugh at you, cry with you, turn to you, or be there for you - who can?
Our brothers and sisters are there with us from the dawn of our personal stories to the inevitable dusk.
- Susan Scarf Merrell
Valentines Day post #4 - love of siblings. I cannot imagine life without mine - tell me THE CRAZIEST THING YOU AND YOUR SIBLING EVER DID and then go tell them that you love them... the Valentine's tradition of telling someone you love them does not have to be limited to February 14th
3 of my (not really crazy but) favorite Memories:
My siblings and I grew up in a completely isolated paradise where we got to run around outside without even a thought of worry over strangers or oncoming cars. Our only neighbors were a couple of retired snow birds, parking lots, a steel forging plant and the nuns in the convent across the street. This made us very close and very loud (because of the hammers from the plant)
Denise- There was an old rock water fall on the north west corner of the property that had been shut off long ago. Right beside it a patch of lilies of the valley grew. Denise and I would sit in the rock formations playing queens of the backyard while we put flowers in our hair and built castles in our minds. Ok she was the queen, I was the princess, sometimes the king. You take what you can get when you're #2.
Mark- Next to Modern Drop Forge was my Papa's garden (we lived above my grandparents), an entire 1/2 acre of green tucked away next to the exercise park and the office buildings. My brother LOVED that garden. When he was little we would pick raspberries every week and when we got home we'd sit on the back porch and I would put on puppet shows with the raspberries on each finger and Mark the monster would bite their heads off. Only once or twice did he sink into a digit.
Mary- We moved out of that house when I was 18, they were tearing it down because the company didn't want to pay for the upkeep any longer (we lived there because my Grandpa had worked for them and my Dad had saved the owner's son's life when he was a nurse). I remember the only thing that made me laugh that day was my poor 12 year old sister FREAKING out because she had been told she wasn't allowed to dig up her dead gold fish and then when I told her we'd do it in secret her not remembering which of the 20 odd trees she had buried them under.