Dear Darlings,

I have to tell you a story about a little sister who used glitter and glue to help one of her brothers soar.

Once upon a time, in a not so distant land,there lived a young lady who was the younger sister to two older brothers.

The oldest brother was loud, very sure of himself and knew exactly what he wanted. He was brave and kind and the whole world loved him. Sometimes the oldest brother liked to torment his little sister, as oldest brothers sometimes do. Luckily, as they got older affection grew between them and love blossomed.

The younger brother, on the other hand, was a little more quiet, reserved and sometimes shy with those he didn’t know. He was hilariously funny with those he knew and very well loved by all who were lucky enough to be in his world. He and the little sister always had a special bond. They were two years apart in age, and they spent many of their youngest times together, side-by-side. But as they grew older, the younger brother strove to be like the oldest brother, and he pulled away from the little sister a bit.

Years passed and the oldest brother left for college. The younger brother and the little sister grew closer again. Although their personalities were vastly different, the love and respect they had for each other was obvious to those who knew them.

One day, the younger brother was struggling mightily with a task he so wanted to accomplish, but didn’t have quite enough knowledge to complete.
The little sister stepped in and said, “I will help you. I will use glitter and glue and everything will be okay.”
She worked tirelessly to make the glitter and glue perfect. Everything was set for the younger brother’s task to be complete, but he still wasn’t sure he could execute exactly what he wanted to be able to do.
The little sister said, “I will help you. I know you’ve never done this particular task before. It’s different than what you’re used to doing. I will be your guide.”

And so she was. The little sister stepped in and stepped up just when her brother needed her. His task was complete, and he was successful at what he set out to do. Now…it’s not that he couldn’t have completed this task without her, he most certainly could have, and he would have still been successful had the little sister not stepped in. She just worked a little magic, and helped him because that’s what little sisters want to do for big brothers who love and respect them.

The end.

So Darlings,

That’s the story using a fairy tale storyline, but I have to tell you the truth is not much of a stretch from there. The little sister in this story is loved and respected by her big brothers. She loves and respects them in return. And with a flourish of my magic wand I wish this fairy tale could be true for all brothers and sisters. Love and respect are earned, and neither are easily repaired or regained when broken. So, my darlings, work hard to make sure to keep your bonds strong with your brothers and sisters. They will be the ones to step in, step up and work a little magic for you.

With love,

Mom

Oh, for the love of my children…