Just Jonathan: Being a supportive sibling

Jonathan Meyer

For 18 years of my life I was a passive sibling. My relationship with my sister Jenna was really only the occasional bickering and fighting, which I almost always lost. We were two very different people who lived in the same house because we happen to have been born of the same parents, not really an ideal way to go about things.

It wasn’t until I was in a pretty difficult spot in life that I learned what a blessing having a sibling is. Fresh out of high school and in the midst of working my first full time job, I went through a difficult breakup.

This pivotal point in any person’s life was not made any easier by the fact that I was in the middle of a gap year. My friends were all either in high school or already off on their own college adventures. I felt alone and defeated, but yet I wasn’t. When I needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to drive to Walmart with, Jenna was there for me.

After years of being a passive brother who rarely paid attention to my sister, she was there when I needed her most. Although my love life was nonexistent, I felt truly loved and cared about, because that’s what a good sibling does.

I learned lots about what a good sibling does in the months after that change in my life. What went from being a virtually nonexistent relationship turned into quite the dynamic duo.

Some of our highlights from those months include: befriending a German foreign exchange student named Pelle and turning him into the third Meyer sibling, going to the Mall of America on a random Sunday morning and not telling Mom and Dad until we were multiple hours into the drive, throwing water at Jenna during a 5k race and getting sweat in her eyes, countless bonfires, trying to get Dairy Queen even after it’s closed, along with so many other random activities.

These few months were filled with fun as we grew really close. When it came time for me to move into college, Jenna even rode with me as we left Tama and headed for Waverly.

Jumping forward a few months, I am back home for Christmas break and settling in when Jenna informed me that a joke I had made for years was no longer a joke. Every year I would sit patiently through her dance recitals and would see the seniors doing their solos and always joked with her that I’d be up there with her when that time came.

I suppose that time came and either she wanted to embarrass me in front of hundreds of people or genuinely wanted me up on stage with her (take your pick). With a few hard hours of dance rehearsals and a cramp or two, I was ready to stand alongside my sister and dance to “Beat It” by Michael Jackson. We killed it (if I do say so myself).

What started as a nonexistent sibling relationship turned into one of the strongest relationships in my life. In the spirit of having to write one article about Jenna winning her scholarship (which I am extremely jealous of), I decided this would be the perfect time to share my gratitude and admiration for my sister. Thank you Jenna for being who you are, I will always have the utmost love and respect for you and your accomplishments. I am one proud and lucky brother.