My parents would always wish we were a twin, and those who aren't family would think we're. My sister…. My favorite person while growing up was my sister, long before I knew what it meant to be chosen without a doubt. She was around in a way that I felt was normal at the time, but precious to me now.
The world was still schooling me on how to be brave, and my sister was teaching me what the concept of love was all about.
Some of the earliest memories of my childhood have her presence into them. She made ordinary days look like an adventure, a small family outing felt like a tale, and even difficult times was made easier just by her being there.
I remember times when my parents was away for business or something else, she would sit with me, talking until I slept off. When I was uncertain about myself, she had a way of knowing what to say, even when she didn’t have to say a thing. This still happens till today.
And she played and still plays so many roles, never once asking for the title. She's always been my protector in those instances when I felt too little for the world, defending me in ways I didn't know how to do myself. She's my teacher that patiently corrects, guides, and sometimes lets me fail just so I could learn. She's my friend-sharing secrets, laughter, and dreams whispered late into the night as the house was quiet, and the future felt wide open.
There was a time when life was not so gentle, when things did not go as planned and the feelings were too heavy to carry by this little child. During those moments, my sister became my refuge. A look from her became an was so reliving, somehow my fears went away. A simple "it will be okay" from my sister felt like a promise the world couldn't break. But she didn't always have answers, but I had presence and that was enough.
And as we grew older, the pulse of life started to change. There were more responsibilities, a lot of changes, and a way for our childhood to make way for adulthood. But even as life progressed, the roots of her effect on me were embedded deep within me.
How I care for others including our younger siblings, how I strive to be strong for others, how I know showing up is important, it is all a reflection of her.
Looking back, today, I see that my sister was much more than my sister because she grew up with me, but also because she raised and influenced me in many ways, about what it means to love, what it means to persevere, what it means to be part of a family, without ever once making me feel as if I owed her that in return because she simply loved me.
And then there are those who pass in and out of your life in a season. And then there are those who are part of your story for the rest of your life. My sister is not only my favorite person from my childhood, but she is definitely one of the greatest gifts my childhood ever gave me.
And I love her for all she does...