Sometimes I wake up at night just to think. Other nights I just lay awake. Tonight is one of those nights.

I’ve laid her for what seems like hours. Finally I decide to roll over to see what time it is. The display reads 2:41 a.m. in big red numbers. Next to my alarm clock is a picture of my two sisters and me in our bathing suits. It’s a funny picture, we’re lined up making faces.

Oh! The things we used to do!

My favorite memory is one where our family decided to go canoeing for the first time. It was a warm summer day and the sun was just right. We had just arrived at the canoe rental place after a two-hour car ride that consisted of fighting and the traditional “Are we there yet?” We rented several canoes. One for my sisters and me; one for my mom and step-dad; and one for their friends. What was so memorable about this trip wasn’t the fact that it was fun but what happened half-way through the trip.

Paddling the boat was my sister Chrissy and me. My other sister was Danielle to young to paddle our big aluminum canoe. We had been paddling for a while so all of us were pretty sweaty. Next thing we know Danielle is waving her arms in the air and screaming.

“Get them off! Their biting me!”

She was being attacked by horseflies. Not knowing what to do Chrissy and me started to swat the flies with the ores, accidentally hitting Danielle in the process. Eventually we got them to go away but Danielle got welts from the flies and the ores.

What more could Chrissy and me say? We were just trying to help.

It was a great memory that stands out vividly in my mind.

Another memory that I hold precious is our childhood summers together. Since my sisters and I were only a year apart we were all very close. In those sticky hot summer nights we would sneak out of our beds to meet in one. There the three of us would crowd together. Even though it was blistering hot we laid close telling each other our dreams for the future, what we are going to name our kids, and how we were gonna stay friends forever.

But, our sisterly bond wasn’t always great.

I also remember those horrible moments when we would argue and fight. Our close ages had its advantages and disadvantages. This was one of the disadvantages.

It’s funny, now that I think about it, I can’t remember why we would fight. I just remember we would fight. To list a few:The paintbrush incident, where Chrissy got so angry with me she proceeded to stab me in the ear with a paintbrush. Another would be Danielle dropping the electric heater on my leg and who could forget the fist fight between Danielle and me over who was going to do the dishes. In the end we broke a few dishes, gave each other bloody noses, and each had a split lip.

I guess the moral of me telling you my memories of my siblings is to tell you even though you may detest them now someday you’ll be more than best friends.

You and your siblings share a bond. A bond that can never be broken, shattered, or scarred. You share the same DNA. That’s something no one else can take away. For that, they always have to love you because one day maybe they can save your life.