Siblings

I was reminded the other day of one of those amazing moments one has as a parent of two children.

My friend, the mother of a 3 year old and a 1 year old, was riding in the car with the two kids in the back. Her husband was driving. The sleeping baby awoke and his big sister said, "Hey, how you doing, little man? Did you sleep well?" mimicking the words her mother always uses with her little brother. The mom shot her husband a quick look and smiled, as if to say how clever their daughter was, at which point the 3 year old said, in exasperation, "Mommy! This is between Lawson and me!"

And so it begins. The kids don't need you. They start talking to each other. It's between them! They form a bond, as buddies, against you. When they get older, they become each other's attorneys, jumping in the second they're needed to defend their sibling's position. They laugh together at the foolishness of their parents.

And, as parents, you still look at each other and smile.

You smile in the knowledge that your kids are there for each other. They're there to pick on each other, to support each other, to talk to each other, to remember their childhood together. They'll be there for each other after you're gone, after friends and even spouses, perhaps, have come and gone.

And you find yourself glad that you have given them such a wonderful gift - the gift of a sibling who cares.