What greater thing is there for human souls than to feel that they are joined for life -to be with each other in silent unspeakable memories.
~George Eliot

Tonight I am feeling overwhelmed. Normally overwhelmed has a bad connotation, but tonight, it is great. I am feeling overwhelmed and joyful because of the family I have been blessed with. How can it be that I have been given two parents that love me and accept me unconditionally? Three sisters that each have beautiful personalities, and faces. 🙂

Friends have often asked me “How do you handle having three sisters? Do you have one that you are closest with? Do you all talk a lot?” It is funny to think about. Like any relationship, we all go through ebbs and flows. Sometimes I’ll go a few weeks and talk to Christina a lot. The next few weeks Katy and I will text and chat and Christina and I will not have much interaction. Later, Charlotte and I will call and write to each other and pick up right where we left off last time. I could not pick which one I feel “closest” to because our relationships are all so different. Each of these women amaze me and I feel so fortunate to have sisters who are also my best friends. It sounds so cliche, but it’s true!

Had I not been born into the same family as my sisters and I met them in school or some other venue, I would be honored to be friends with them. It is funny to think about how I would view these girls if they weren’t family. Charlotte would intimidate me, she is so confident and can easily fit into any situation while holding the attention of the entire room. I think this is why we had such a hard time getting along as children; I felt awkward and out of place while she could meet someone for the first time and have them laughing and feeling at ease! I’m pretty sure Char would be the kind of friend I would constantly be trying to impress and make laugh. Christina, she would be the girl I would want to hate but couldn’t because she is too dang nice. She’s a blonde bombshell and is one of the most selfless people I know. She doesn’t care what other people think about her, and that only makes her more fun to be around. Our similar humor styles would make us pretty quick friends I would imagine. Then there is my Katy. My Katybug. She is the girl that you really like but think that she is probably putting on a front; nobody is that sweet and kind-hearted. Then after becoming closer friends with her, you realize she really is THAT sweet. That woman doesn’t have a bad bone in her body and would give you the shirt off her back. Most people can’t go to their younger siblings for advice, but that is not the case with Katy. She is someone that the entire family will run things by to try and get her opinion! I will never forget how important she was to me several years ago when I had one of my first panic attacks. Katy sat and literally hugged me for an hour and handled the whole thing like a champ! I saw her in a whole new light after that day!

That quote “friends are God’s way of apologizing for our families” definitely does not apply to me. I feel more like my sisters are God’s way of apologizing for the crazy and unfortunate “friend” encounters I have had in the past 24 years! I’m sure mom remembers the “friend” that slept over my freshman year in high school. Becky was Gothic, complete with black makeup, clinical depression, and chains hanging from her clothes.  I didn’t sleep the whole night because I was scared she was going to put a spell on me/kill me in my sleep. True story. I woke up a 6:30am and begged mom to drive her home. The stories go on and on! Thank God I have finally managed to secure a stable, somewhat normal, and wonderful group of friends!

I am immensely grateful for the parents God has given me. My dad; he feels like a fairytale dad sometimes. No, he isn’t a merman and he isn’t married to an evil step mom, but he is kind of the perfect father. He is caring, reliable, funny, thoughtful, wise…I could go on and on. I have never felt let down by my dad. Maybe in my teenage years, but those don’t count. When you are a teenager, everybody and everything sucks. My dad finds time to call me every single week. If I don’t get the chance to talk to him, he always leaves me a voice mail telling me how much he loves me. When I do get to finally talk to him after a long week, he always says “oh Courtney, it’s so good to hear your voice.” I realize how rare it is to have a father so involved in my life. Not only involved, but one of the most important parts of my life! When I was a senior in high school, I had a good friend who had never heard his dad tell him he loved him. 18 years old and his dad had NEVER said those three words to him. I cannot comprehend that, how truly sad. My dad not only says it, he shows it, every single day.

Marm: My beautiful and amazing mother! Like I said before with the relationships with my sisters; our relationship also ebbs and flows. One thing never changes though, my deep love and admiration for this woman. Any woman who raised four girls has GOT to be something special. Reminds me of a quote from Louis C.K.: “You’re not a woman until you have had people come out of your vagina and step on your dreams” hahah…it’s terrible but hilarious. My mom is selfless, hilarious, encouraging, and spontaneous. She is the one I call when something good happens. When something bad happens. When I am bored and having absolutely nothing interesting to say. You can be telling her about the impressive bowel movement you had earlier that day and she will give you her undivided attention. She makes you feel like you are the most important person in the world when talking to her. Mom can empathize with the worst of situations and the best of situations. People often tell me that I resemble my mom in so many ways, I take this as a huge compliment every time.

Well this turned into quite a lengthy post! Definitely wasn’t anticipating that. I just felt the need to express my feelings because of the love and support my family showed me today. They have proven once again that no matter my decisions in life or the path I choose, they will love me unconditionally. What a beautiful feeling.