In Praise of Siblings

Today, the week after the wedding, I speak in praise of siblings.

I praise siblings who took a full week of vacation from their work to come celebrate their sister’s wedding.

Siblings who drove eleven hours each way across Nevada with three small children. Siblings who flew with an infant and small child. Siblings who left their homes and their responsibilities and activities and their work and spent the entire week with family, sleeping on inflatable beds and sharing one bathroom.

Siblings who planned and executed a family trip to Arches, figuring out driving and lodging and activities and meals, all without disagreement or friction.

Siblings who cared for each other’s babies and children, who tended babies in the early morning hours so parents could sleep, who took nieces and nephews to Nickel City and shared their tickets with them, who took all the children to Color Me Mine so they could make personalized wedding presents for the bride and groom.

Siblings who stayed up laughing and talking late into the night, sharing and loving each other. Siblings who drove across town early in the morning just so we could have breakfast with everyone.

Siblings who spent hours searching for the right bridesmaid dress, and then, when that wasn’t right, cheerfully wore the ones chosen by the bride, and who eventually came to love those dresses (or not, but wore them anyway.)

Siblings who found the right outfits for flower girls and ring bearers and then made last minute trips to Walmart or the mall to find the right accessories.

Siblings who shared a room with the bride the night before the wedding and giggled and talked into the night and early in the morning.

Siblings who ran to Walmart late, the night before the wedding, to make a special bag of treats as a surprise in the honeymoon hotel.

Siblings who spent hours setting up for the reception and more hours cleaning up.

Siblings who shared hosting duties throughout the reception, seeing that all the guests were welcomed and felt loved, seeing that everything went smoothly.

Siblings who love each other no matter what, even when things go wrong.

At one point on the wedding day, I had just introduced my sister to my husband’s nieces. (And I could write another whole essay in praise of my siblings, who also traveled and sacrificed to share this day.) They said, “Isn’t it nice that you can share this with your sister?”

Suddenly I felt so strongly the bond of sisterhood, of brotherhood. I sat down beside them, two sisters, and got serious. “There is no one like a sister. No one like a brother. Your parents will die and leave you part way through your lives. Your husbands come late into your life. But your siblings know you all your life and are with you throughout your journey. Cherish the relationship. Take the time to nurture those bonds.”

Today I praise siblings—my children who are siblings, my personal siblings, all siblings and the love and support they provide.

He that loveth his brother [and sister] abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. (1 John 2:10) 

But ye will teach them [your children, siblings] to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another. (The Book of Mormon, Mosiah 4:15)