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Title: A Result of Sibling Love

Charity starts at home – I always tell my younger brother, Erik. You don’t have to prove yourself of your generosity by showing off to the mass or public. You start with what you have, your family, your circle of friends no matter how small, you start with yourself.
Growing up as a child was tough for us. We are composed of 3 siblings: My older sister, Elissa, my youngest brother, Erik, and I, at the middle. Sometimes, when I backtrack, I wonder, how both my sister and I managed to cover for our own needs as well as our dependent brother.
It is not a joke coming from a broken home. At an early age of 10 years old, we were forced to be independent and to try as hard as we could to be able to make ends meet and equip ourselves with the skillsets needed to survive and provide for our own. I remember lining up at my elementary school in the province all by myself to pay my tuition while other kids were with their parents. I secretly envied my classmates being spoiled by their elders. I only had my siblings. But I am thankful.
My brother used to tell his sisters, Elissa and I, that we were both high-strung, perfectionist, sometimes to the point of being obsessive-compulsive about doing the right way. I take a step back now, now that he just finished graduating college. Were we wrong? Had it been the other way around, he could have not graduated at all. Or maybe we were right after all.
Reality strikes us that we live in order to conform: study, graduate, grow up, pay the bills, get a mortgage, be a law-abider, follow the rules, pay your dues on time, etc. etc. etc. And do our best to be able to meet the demands of this society. No wonder, we bang our heads against the wall trying to comply with all these expectations.
My sister and I fell in that abyss and stretched our wings a little further. Because we had nobody growing up with – our teachers were coaching us to excel, to get that medal or award, to prove ourselves to the rest of the world that no matter our parents parted ways and left us hanging. We did it. On our own.
I believe my siblings and I were self-made. But others would beg to disagree. If circumstances did not happen the wrong, “un-ideal” way, then we wouldn’t have reached higher heights.
As for my brother, Erik, I feel so proud that he is turning to me a man of his own right. I am proud of my sister for always being supportive no matter how tight our finances could be.
Honestly, I would not want to mention our parents who left us helpless. But that is not a fair attitude. I am also proud of them and no matter how painful their decision was (I am sure that it was hard for them to let go), they did that to teach us a thing or two about life and not just existing. But living. And living for something. No matter how trivial or big – whatever that thing is, that serves as the gravity of your world where your inspiration anchors on.
So just go. And live it.

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