The Cash Register

Over the summer, I have had the privilege of watching something significant happen with Jackson and Boston. I have broken up many fights, several wrestling matches, and heard "he did it" over and over but I have also seen "the switch". That moment in time when little brother goes from annoying to friend. There was one day about one month ago when Boston said, "Do you want to play cowboys Jack?"and Jack's face lit up like a firecracker. He was so excited. There have been several moments like that throughout this past month as they have become companions. My favorite though had to be about two nights ago. We all watched a movie together and ate popcorn. When the movie was over I told them to pick up and go brush their teeth. I was doing something with Moses and I heard giggling and whispering but didn't think anything of it. I put them to bed and then continued to hear a lot of giggling and whispering which slowly became a lot of laughter, or as my mother would say "a dull roar." I went in to check on them only to find them both on the floor eating popcorn out of toys. They had snuck popcorn into their room, filled their toys with it, hid them til I left the room and were now dumping it out of the toys and eating it on the floor.
I couldn't even get upset with them. Isn't that what siblings are for anyway? I spent two and half hours on the phone with my sister last week and I have no idea what we talked about but I know I laughed hysterically the whole time. Another day, I texted with my baby sister doing the same thing! And then spent some time crying on the phone with my other sister (I have a lot of sisters)! Those are the women who know me best, I don't have to impress them...I can JUST BE. Siblings are the people that stick with you through tears, through heartache...they know who your first boyfriend was and how he broke your heart, they know when you had your first kiss, they were there at your wedding and watched God weave together redemption, they know all the outfits you wore in high school (and occasionally describe them in graphic detail in public settings), they can describe the births of each of your children as if they were there in the delivery room themselves, and they know as soon as you say HELLO what your mood is for the day.
Now I get to watch that develop between my young men. There will be fights both with words and fists, there will be differences in character, there will be lots of getting on each others nerves...but that is all worth the friendship that develops through the years as they are deeply known by someone who unconditionally loves them.