Siblings

Like most parents, Shawn and I were apprehensive about how our family dynamics were going to shift once we brought Jonah into the mix.  We loved being a family of 3 and we knew that we wanted to be a family of 4, but we wanted Nicole to want that too.  Upon Jonahs arrival, Nicole was excited to meet him but much more interested in when I was going to be returning home from the hospital than her new baby brother.  My absence ended up being significantly more impactful and memorable for Nicole than Jonahs birth was so it was hard to gauge how she felt about him.  As it turned out, I didn't have to wait long to find out. 

In the afternoon of my first day home from the hospital, Nicole and I headed outside together with Jonah nestled sleepily in my arms.  Our neighbor came over to meet our handsome little bundle and after chatting for a bit asked if she could bring him home for a minute so that she could introduce him to her mom.  Since this neighbor happens to be a good friend of mine, and because I know her mom, I agreed.  As she happily walked next door with Jonah snuggled in her arms, Nicole ran up to me and exclaimed, "MOM! She forgot to give us our baby back, we need to go get him!" 

We did "go get our baby back" and along the way I gave thanks to God for this tiny new member of our family who already had a place of such significant belonging in our family.  Over the last 19 months that place of belonging has grown exponentially and I have witnessed the warmth (and occasional heartache) of Jonah growing into his role as a brother. 

It's not always easy to have a sibling or to be a sibling, but it is always a gift.  Today, we give thanks for the friendship our children share with one another and for the love that binds them. 

Our prayer for you this week is that as you approach the holiday season, God would help you to strengthen and renew the friendship you have with your siblings and that your relationship would always be bonded in love.   

With Love,
Erica