My Sister

It was an interesting twist of providential fate that led to an improved friendship between me and my sister. I was about seventeen, and she was fourteen. I left my girlfriend alone in the house one day, and because she was bored she found Caroline's journal and read a few entries. When I returned she told me what she had done and said, “you should know that your sister really looks up to you. She wrote about you a lot.”

Over the years I had often ignored my sister. We fought a lot when we were kids, but our interests slowly diverged with the passing years and we spent less and less time together. Until the day my girlfriend read my sister's journal I had never realized how much I loved her and how important it was for us to spend time together. I was her big brother, after all–the only sibling she had. Although it sounds like a pretty serious violation of privacy, I personally believe that my girlfriend was inspired to do what she did.

My sister and I found time to spend together after that. When she started high-school we drove to seminary morningsides together. We also attended church youth activities and firesides, and read scriptures. She was a lot more spiritual than I was.

We talked a lot about life and its challenges. I wasn't an expert or anything–in fact, I learned more from her than she ever could have from me–but the time we spent together was sacred and memorable.

When I turned eighteen, I moved out of the house and our time together dwindled. A couple of years later she moved to Virginia to live with our aunt and work in Washington, D.C. Though we didn't talk much anymore, I did get a chance to visit her a few years later while on a business trip. I helped her move to a new apartment building, and I packed her music collection. I recognized most of the album titles–CD's and tapes that we had listened to as kids.

In 2006 my wife, my mom, and my kids and I traveled to Washington, D.C. and spent a week with my sister. It was a wonderful experience.

I owe much of the relationship I have with my sister to that day when my girlfriend read her journal, and I will be forever grateful that my eyes were opened while there was still time to establish a quality relationship with my only sibling.