Uniquely You

I have two siblings. My brother was four years old when my sister was born. As expected, he wasn’t too happy about his solitude being stripped. My mother says that when my sister was born, my brother promptly told them to take her back. His stance changed when I was born a year later. By then, he’d gotten used to being a big brother and was ready to be more of a helper, even instructing my parents when it was time to feed and change baby me. 

My sister’s experience is likely a little different. My brother was capable of showing her the ropes and making sure she understood the pecking order. Afterall, he’d had four years on her. While she was the baby, she undoubtedly garnered a little more attention then my brother cared for.  For my sister though, it was short lived. I was born just a year and five days after her. She’d only enjoyed her new baby of the family role for a year before it was seized. I often think about that experience because I know that each of us had a different perspective on our roles and our existence as we grew. 

Don’t get me wrong. I love my siblings. But as a child, I often felt unseen. My brother and my sister seemed to have a clearly defined purpose for their lives and I often felt like an extra. As I grew, my voice got quieter because it seemed like no one was interested in what I had to say. Afterall, I was number three. All the life experiences and the joys of firsts had already happened. It wasn’t brand new. Being just a year and five days behind my sister, I had the joy of receiving instant hand-me-downs and joint birthday parties.

Then I started to wonder how my sister felt. The joys of her first birthday having a footnote of my birth. She never really had the experience of her own toys and bedroom and such because she’d always had to share with me. In reality, my sister probably didn’t care too much. Yet, just the thought opened up my eyes to the lens of life viewing.  It’s why perspective is one of my favorite words. I shared once how a friend dropped it on me when we were working on jigsaw puzzles together and that’s so true. It’s always been a word that makes me stop and think. What if I look at this from a different lens? Just like with my siblings and our life experiences. What if it’s not what I think?

I shared the way I used to think because it has become so important in understanding the value that we all have in life. Think of it this way. There are twenty-six letters in the English alphabet. Some are dazzling in their uniqueness. Others look a little like another letter. Yet, there are so many words that would not exist without the existence of those letters. When that thought first occurred to me, it showed me the beauty of my uniqueness. Why should I look like everyone else? Why should I act just like them? Is that the type of conforming I was made to be? No. I take it back to my family. My brother was athletic and my sister was outgoing. I often felt like I just was. Although we were a part of the same family, we all had different experiences that allowed us to encounter different people. 

If you’re looking for purpose, what an excellent place to start. We never need to feel like we have this clearly identifiable purpose because we are each as important as the letters of the alphabet. Perhaps you don’t need an “A” to spell “Purpose”. But you can’t spell “Blessed” without it.  Similarly, we each have a purpose. I think that sometimes we worry to much and search to hard to find it. Start by just being you. Trust that God will allow everything else to fall in line so that it was all accomplish his purpose.

Stay Sunny!

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