As  the season of sending brothers and sisters off to college comes to a close, I have realized how important my siblings are to me. This fall, my brother moved into Loras college. Instead of him living in the room right next to mine, he is now living in a dorm room an hour away. It is now just my sister and me. I want to take this opportunity to tell you all to never underestimate the power of sibling love.

Last fall, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although it was not life threatening, it was still a scary experience. Through the numerous amounts of hospital visits, medications, and surgeries, I felt like the only people that truly understood what I was going through were my siblings. My siblings and I had never been closer, and that event truly impacted our relationships for the better. Instead of my brother just giving me a quick “good luck” in the morning, he was now trying to make it to all of my volleyball games. Because my mom could not drive my sister to her activities, I took her to them and we bonded during the many car rides. I have no doubt that my siblings would help me if I ever needed their help or advice.

When it comes down to it, family is all that you truly have for the rest of your life. I am not trying to undermine parents, but there are some things only siblings can understand. Your siblings are the ones who have gone through many of the same situations as you… in the same generation! We have all experienced the typical “but when I was a kid…” conversations from our parents. In my case, most of these conversations are held during our family dinners at Casa Las Glorias over our several bowls of chips and queso. However, our siblings would never come back with that type of conversation. They understand how our generation is different from our parents’. Yes, my parents understand that social media is a big part in our lives now, but only our siblings truly understand how it feels when you see all your friends hanging out without you on a Snapchat Story. Your siblings will be there to comfort you and take care of you. Ultimately, they will always be your best friends. From countless Casa dinners to medical setbacks, my siblings are the two people I can always count on. I cannot wait for the many years to come of laughing at my parents’ stories to crying when we face a large obstacle. My older brother and younger sister are my best friends. I encourage you all to value your siblings because the second they do not live ten steps away from you, you will miss them.