Oldest Sister

As I was tucking my girls into bed tonight, Adam wandered up into the room and wanted to participate. In his sweet little voice he sung songs with me, humming and making as many of the sounds as he could. It was really very sweet. At one point, I got up and sat on the edge of the bed and he followed suite. In his typical Adam fashion, he hoisted himself onto the bed and then plopped down like a sack of potatoes right on Audrey who was practically asleep. I braced myself for the aftermath of this incident and then something special happened. Instead of getting upset at her brother for being so clumsy with his 40 lb. frame, she gently placed her arm around him in a selfless display of approval. I couldn't help but think of her role in our family as the eldest child. This will be a role that she will play for the rest of her life. I am familiar with this role myself. You become very attached to your little brothers and sisters. They become a part of you, you take ownership of them, and feel a sense of responsibility for their actions. In a way, they become yours to care for, as a mini-parent you take pride in their accomplishments and feel grief for their disappointments and heartache. I love my babies. In this case I am referring to the ones that I cared for in my little eight year old body. They were mine, still are, and always will be. (Even if they are all taller than I am!) I couldn't help but feel a kinship to my sweet little Audrey tonight as she took on that role all her own. I'm so blessed to have had her first. She is a a true gem. I know she will carry it well. May they follow your footsteps forever. I love you!