Sweet 16

Happy birthday to my little sister Bryanna!! She is 16 years old today!

She's taught me a few things. Recently, its how much of a role model I am to her and how much just being there is for her.

I have a confession to make here, something that still hurts me and probably will for awhile.

Last semester Bryanna joined a volleyball team with a private school. Every time she had a home game, she would beg me to come and watch her. I'm sorry to say I never went. I always had to work late, or they were done with the game before I got off work, or I decided I had more important things to do than drive 30 minutes to watch her. I told her I would go in the spring semester, I was just to busy with work and school this time around.

Its not that I couldn't ask off of work. I could have asked to get off at 5 instead of 6 once and there wouldn't be much of a problem. But I never put forth the effort. I kept saying, "Next time, next time". When we broke for Christmas holidays, I never thought that there wouldn't be a next time.

Because I'm not as close-knit with my family anymore because of our school and jobs, I can't tell you what exactly is wrong with her, but she seriously hurt her knee. First she was fine, then it messed up again and she was out of volleyball for two weeks. A few weeks ago, they decided the damage was enough to sideline her for the rest of the season. She didn't want to keep hurting it with only a few games left. Her plan is to work it back up to playing shape over the remaining semester/summer and join again next fall.

It hit me that I might never have a chance to watch my little sister play volleyball. Next year I am transferring to a different school so I may never be home for a chance to watch. I realized how selfish I was by never going. How nothing was stopping me-but myself.

As I write this, I am reminded of a monologue I performed once with the line "Do people ever realize life while they live it? Every...every minute." If someone in your life has been asking you to do something, just do it. Maybe its a sibling begging you to do something with them, your spouse asking for help with a project, your best friend wanting to watch a movie, or the new kid just wanting to hang. Time and money have absolutely nothing on relationships with other people. We should measure our lives by the happy memories we have with the ones we love, not how much time and money we spent on it.

So thank you, Bryanna, for showing me that. Happy birthday sweetheart!

~Ephesians 5:16- Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days~