SIBLINGS MATTER

Siblings Matter.  Or, a Sibling Matter?

Sitting at supper last week, just my girls and I as my hubby was out of town for business…. and my older daughter starts to squeal with excitement saying, "LOOK, LOOK, LOOK!!"  The younger sibling looks to where the older one is looking and jumps out her chair exclaiming, "BROTHER IS HOME!".  They both ran out the door to go meet him before he even had time to get out of his truck.  My heart melted like chocolate on a warm summer day to see the love they share as siblings.

The boy was home from college.  Just for one night.  But, the real joy for me was knowing that he came home (yes, with laundry) to see his sister's concert that night.  He made the point of coming to see her first performance.  It sent her over the moon.  

I remember being in the trenches of the "growing years" with all three kids in elementary school.  The daily chaos and drama of sibling squabbles!   UGH!  I had no idea of the experiences that lay ahead.  I had no way of knowing that the relationships that they were developing as young children would become such a source of comfort for me.  Now, as a mother of older kids who love and support one another, it is one of the many joys I get to experience in parenting.  I am getting to see their sibling relationships deepen over time.  They still squabble, but they take time to listen to each other.  They seek out each other for opinions and advice.

My youngest actually texted her big brother asking for help with a project at school.  He took the time to send some pictures and suggestions for how she could approach the problem.  All without me getting involved at all - I found out about it later.  Oh, the wonders of modern technology!  The youngest one has had the chance to come along with my hubby and I as we go to see the college boy perform in the band on game day.  She was thrilled to get the chance to see him, and to be a part of the day.  I think he was even happy to see her.  

A week or so ago, my hubby, our youngest girl, and myself drove to Lincoln to watch our oldest girl perform in a high school marching band competition.   Her older brother offered to join us for the day.  Following the performance, we walked to where our band was assembling for a group photo.  When our girl saw her brother she RAN over to him and gave him a huge hug - that he returned.  In public!  She was so excited to see him.  And, she wanted his opinion on how the band had looked.  Heartwarming.

Our college boy is home on fall break now.  He got home on  Friday night, and both of the sisters were occupied with other social activities.  But, once they were home again, the siblings reunited with smiles and hugs.  They spent some time telling each other about their adventures.  What fun to watch!  Then, they started making plans for what to do the next day together.  An afternoon spent together with one sister, and a late-night movie out with the other sister and friends.  Again, warmth to a mother's heart.

He gave advice on how to prepare for an All-State competition.  The sisters made him laugh with their funny escapades.  He helped with proofreading essays for each sister.  The sisters offered a "girls view" for some of the questions he had.  Our family was back to its normal five.  We watched a movie together that went too late into the night, and then once the movie was over we stayed up even later as the kids all talked together sharing stories and laughing.  I was so tired but wasn't about to call an end to such a delightful evening.  Being a mother of older kids is a constant learning curve.  It is a blessing to savor the joy it brings with it.