Student Finds Motivation in Sibling’s Success
I have spent much of my entire life competing with my sibling, but that’s normal right?
It’s only natural to compete with those around you, especially a family member.
My sibling and I are extremely alike, we both love sports, love to snowboard, find the same jokes funny and most importantly we love to get on each other’s nerves. Despite all of this, I can definitely say without a doubt that I look up to my sibling more than anyone else I know.
My sibling never gives up, no matter what. It truly is remarkable the amount of drive this person has. It is inspiring. I’ve always joked that I live in the shadow of my sibling, but behind each joke is a tiny bit of truth.
My sibling Noel, is a 15-year-old girl. I am 20.
That’s right, go ahead and laugh. The very person I live my life to inspire and motivate has surpassed me in just about everything she has done up to this point.
My sister, Noel, is a little more than four years younger than me. She excels in just about everything she does. In her freshman year of high school she started varsity soccer and softball, as well as getting in some playing time on the varsity basketball team. Did I mention there hasn’t been a marking period she hasn’t gotten honor roll?
Now I wasn’t a bad student in high school, I got A’s and B’s with the occasional C here or there. I played football and baseball as a freshman and went on to play baseball my sophomore year as well.
I never played at a varsity level and I didn’t make it in to the National Honors Society that my glorious sister will inevitably make it into, the same National Honor Society that just happens to be named in honor of my great-grandfather.
I also will never have a chance to play on my town’s varsity baseball team, the same team my own father was captain of as a junior.
But don’t worry Dad, there’s still hope for the family name, your five-foot-one, 86-pound daughter will make everything better.
My sister has an eight-pack, that doesn’t one-up me, it eight-ups me. But I’m not bitter, I can’t stress that enough. I am so proud of my sister; she works very hard and deserves everything she gets. That being said, I’d like to win just once when we play bean-bag-toss, maybe I could be the one to get a bulls-eye in darts or catch the bigger fish out on the lake.
I remember the first time we went snowboarding together. I had been snowboarding for a few years at this point and it was Noel’s first time out. Naturally, we started our day off on the bunny hill.
“Don’t worry if you don’t get it at first,” I said as I glided effortlessly down the small slope, “It’s not easy to pick up, I didn’t make it off the bunny hill my first day out.”
Within the hour, she was practically keeping up with me and decided it was time to take the gondola up to the top of the mountain. We spent the rest of the day side by side going down trails, me in the lead at times and my sister passing ahead of me at others.
Much like that day on the mountain, my sister and I are always racing, side by side, there for one another, while at the same time secretly keeping note of who is ahead. When I fall behind I use my awesome sister as motivation to try and pull ahead, yet I am also proud to see her in the lead.
The drive to compete and try and do better has helped mold me into the person I am today.
Without Noel constantly being there to keep myself in check, I don’t know where I would be.
I love to snowboard, I love to play sports, and I love to compete. I am so grateful to have a younger sister who loves to do all the same things as me, equally as good as me, if not better.
I don’t know how many guys can get their younger sister on a weekend evening to go fishing; I’d say I’m pretty lucky. In fact, she’s usually the one bothering me to go fishing.
My sister Noel recently started learning piano. I’ve been playing guitar and bass for about seven years now and I like to think I’m a decent musician. Don’t worry though, give it another week and I’ll being strumming “Smoke on the Water” as she effortlessly rattles off Bach’s Concerto One in D Minor and I couldn’t be more proud.
PHOTO COURTESY of Nick Hodgins
