> Today is National Sibling Day. It is not very often that I find it difficult to conjure up words to help describe what it is I'm trying to express. Perhaps this is a side-effect of being "locked inside your head" all the time, or maybe it isn't, but the original idea of this post was going to be something along the lines of a story that started out by saying "once upon a time, I tried to imagine what it would be like NOT to have a sibling." Staring at a blank full-screen word processor with no words is where that idea started and ended. This simply is not possible, for I cannot with all the creative energies of the world possibly imagine what it would be like to live my life without my Sister. > > My short-lived 34-year tenure on this earth has been graced with the honor of having Nicole within arms reach nearly the entire time. Of course during our adolescence we navigated our own avenues of life in search of finding what was truly valuable to us as people. Nicole's heart pours love in all directions, something I'm only able to dream of identifying with. Her compassion and caring are beyond measure. If my dear Sister finds herself troubled with something that is going on in your life, you can rest assured that she doesn't sleep properly until your issues are resolved. She has empathy that can move mountains and has concerns for her friends and family that run deeper than the oceans that surround us. > > Nicole was with me with the day I started Kindergarten, she was wrapped in my arm for a picture the day I graduated college. She stood up in my wedding and let me cry on her shoulder when I got divorced. She listened to me when I told her I was an alcoholic, and she never judged me once. She knew that I was the same person that was afraid to go to Shady Lane Elementary for Kindergarten. Her loyalty never swayed, her passion never strained. She always remained absolute in her resolve, and she never walked down a path in life that she wasn't prepared to deal with. She blindly fell in love, but she always knew that her Father and Brother had four fists and four feet that wouldn't allow for any man to do her wrong without consequence. She cried on our shoulders when love blindsided her, and it was an honor to watch her grow into the women she has become. > > They say that life doesn't have a manual, but I disagree. I feel that life does have a manual and it has a map too. The map to life is designed by your family, and manual of life is a symbolic metaphor for a compilation of the life experiences you endure. It is up to you to open the book and read the pages that have been written for you. > > I'm overwhelmed with emotion when I think about all the things Nicole has done for me over the years. It seems like a debt I'll never properly repay, but if I learned anything from looking at these maps, and reading these pages - it is that over a long enough timeline the merits of being a "big brother" will be called upon once again. Looking around, looking at the past and gazing into the future, I wouldn't want anyone else by my side for this adventure. Your living proof blood is thicker than water, and our relationship is solid evidence that certain things never fall along the way. I love you with my entire being Nicole, Happy National Siblings Day. _:D_ > > [‪#‎NationalSiblingsDay‬](https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/nationalsiblingsday?source=feed_text&story_id=10154140007715820) \[gallery link="none" size="medium" ids="10914,10915,10916,10917,10918,10919,10920,10921,10922" orderby="rand"\]