Best Friends

I grew up being the fourth of five children.  My older sister is nine years older than me, my two older brothers are practically Irish twins, and so my younger sister {being only three years shy of me} was my best friend.

I have only a few memories of life before her.  I remember her baby shower at our church in Oregon, I vaguely remember her being born, and I remember her under those crazy lights in the hospital for jaundice.  We shared a room until I was seventeen and we'd stay up late playing card games on the floor until we heard my dad's footsteps coming to tell us to go to bed.  

We posed for first-day-of-school pictures together, we went to every doctor's appointment together, and we were together when she had her type one diabetes diagnosis at the itty bitty age of six.  

She bugged the crap out of me, always breathing on my hand when I would play on our first family computer {an Amiga}.  We took multiple road trips together with my dad; to Sedona to see our grandparents, Idaho to see our aunt & uncle, and Oregon to see old friends.  We bickered and argued, but would always share a sly smile when our parents weren't looking, as if to acknowledge that we'd fooled them all.

Growing up in a family of seven was crazy, but we were never short of love and we were never far from each other.  Sure I'm closer with my other siblings now, but back then, Katherine was my jam.

I'm suddenly starting to see that in Caleb and Lilly.

For so long Caleb wanted nothing to do with her.  She was just this thing that made noise and tormented him.  Despite his constant denial, Lilly has always persisted.  She has loved is quirks and his silliness, and she has shown so much grace and patience during his hard times.  

Lately when he has a meltdown, she waits patiently for him to get through it.  And when he's calm, she quietly turns to me and says "Caleb had a hard time, huh mom."  Even at her young age {of almost four} I've begun to explain that he's different...that sometimes he stares, sometimes he wants to be alone, that we need to respect him, and it's okay.  

But when they play together, it's the happiest giggles I've ever known.  They have their own little language of words that make no sense, but constantly crack them up.  Caleb wants to share his Minecraft creations with her, and she wants him to do silly things like burp on command and say weird stuff.  Sure they yell at each other, point at each other {gasp}, and want all the attention when the other is throwing a fit, but I'm fairly convinced that they're best friends {or at least closing in on that title}.  So much answered prayer.  So thankful they have each other to share childhood with.