The other day when I was sitting outside, I saw a slug on the ground, and my first thought was, “Man, I would never want to be you.”
And I meant it—I may not know much about the bug kingdom, but I do know I’ve never seen a pack of slugs traveling together.
Looking at that slug made me really thankful for the people I have in my life and the fact that I don’t have to sliver through this journey alone. I know I talk about my sister a lot, but you would, too, if she were your sister. Trust me.
Life certainly isn’t always easy, and there are moments when I all I want to do is beat the crap out of a piñata. I mean, you get to take out your frustrations on something, and then you get candy afterward. It’s a good situation. But sometimes there aren’t piñatas anywhere around, and there’s no candy, either.
Last Friday was a day I thought I needed candy and a piñata, but it turns out there was something I needed more than anything: my sister. It had been a tough week, and Friday was the capitulation of my strength. I had to go to my parents’ house after work to pick something up, and my sister was over there. She could tell I needed her without me even saying a thing, and we sat in my old room while she scratched my back and listened to me. She was simply there for me when I needed her most. And even though my problems didn’t vanish, I felt better knowing she’s always willing to trudge through the messes with me and be right there with me when I’m an absolute mess myself.
I remember one time when we were young and home alone on somewhat of a dreary day. We heard a strange creepy noise coming from one of the closets in our house, but neither of us actually wanted to open the closet door. So we did what any logical girl would do: We grabbed golf clubs and went and sat on our front porch. This was the obvious solution for two reasons: 1. If you’re ever in danger inside your home, it makes perfect sense to go wait on the front porch. 2. The best weapon of defense against anyone or anything making a noise in your closet is a golf club. But honestly, after a while, I wasn’t even the least bit scared of what was possibly in the closet. I felt better knowing my sister was right there with me, armed with a driver, ready to face anything right alongside me.
When my sister was born, I was so excited for little Steffie Robyn, as I called her. Since she came into my life almost 30 years ago, there have been so many adventures—and all of them have been worth every second. There’s been laughter. There have been tears. There’s been joy. There’s been anger. There have been pleasant times. There have been fights. There’s been patience. There’s been frustration. There have been so many things—but there’s always been love, and there’s always been trust.
I can’t think of what life would have been like without her here with me, nor do I even want to imagine a world like that. She makes everywhere a better place to be. When you’re sad, she’ll scratch your back and make you laugh. When you need encouragement, she’ll give you the best pep talk you’ve ever received. When you’re angry, she’ll soften you up so quickly and make you forget why you were even mad in the first place. When there’s tension between people, she’ll create peace. She sees the beauty in people that others often overlook, and she brings it to light. She reminds people that they are loved and that they matter.
I know not everyone has siblings, and I know not everyone who has siblings gets along with them. But I hope that you have your own Steffie Robyn—that person who is always there for you, no matter what, and will continue to be there for you, even when you’re at your worst or going through the roughest of the rough patches. We need those people.
After all, we’re not slugs.
