This is a special article. My brother's birthday and my sister's birthday are coming up. My brother is turning 21, and my sister is turning 23. 23 isn't the biggest age milestone until you understand she already has a family; a husband and two girls. Each time I visit, I can tell she's exhausted. She might've been up for half the night and only got an hour of sleep with her youngest waking up constantly, or she might've had to drive her husband to work, so she could have the car for errands that day after only getting a couple of hours of sleep. She's currently in school as well. She's pursuing her bachelor's in health sciences. Her husband works long hours, but they always make sure to spend time as a family.
My sister and I at her first born's baby shower.Robby Brooks
My brother and I seeing Daughtry in concert for the first time.
Rosemary Lesniak
My brother is turning 21 still comes as a shock to me. Not because he was involved in some dangerous stuff growing up, but because he has Asperger's Syndrome. He's also my little brother. I can only think of him obsessing over the Star Wars; The Clone Wars in our living room at the best house we'd ever lived in before he had to go to school. Sometimes I'll remember waking him up for school to one of his Daughtry CDs. Our mom was in the hospital because of problems with her heart. I remember how excited he was to be seeing Daughtry in concert for the first time at Busch Garden's Food & Wine Festival. He sang to every single song. Or when I found out Daughtry came back to Tampa like five or six months later and he told me I had to get my shift covered if I could, so we could go to see him open for Nickelback. That night was an experience, to say the least. My brother turning 21 is such a shock to me because I think of him as my little brother not like a brother that has grown up.
My brother discovered I was a fat baby and found that hilarious. He was shaking with laughter.
Rosemary Lesniak
My sister, my mom and I had a girl's day out.
Nicole Brooks
All the memories I have with my family are irreplaceable. My sister and I in middle school used to reorganize our room or decorate it like any other close sisters. At one point in middle school, we were obsessed with the Jonas Brothers like 90% of their fandom. Our room was decorated almost from floor-to-ceiling in Jonas Brothers posters or pictures we cut out from magazines. We even attached a poster to the back of our door. We also attached a poster board to the front of the door with a warning saying something like, "Warning: You are about to enter Jonas Brother heaven." Our mom laughed when we showed her the room. Eventually, their eyes on the pictures started to creep us out, and we tore the room apart of all posters. I'm pretty sure that prompted a room rearrangement change for us too. We rearranged our room a handful of times and were so proud we were able to do it with just us and without taking anything out of our room. It was hard work, but the final product was worth it. Our mom used to get mad at us for rearranging our room but eventually grew to like our arrangement. Sometimes I get in those moods myself today, but I get knocked down a peg when I realize I can't move anything by myself and I have nowhere to move anything. The memories we have can fill a lifetime.
Happy birthday to Nicole and Chris!