Those two words may seem simple, but they truly encompass how I feel.
You have chosen to love and respect and cherish my brother. You have chosen the goofiness, the "I was just kidding" statements, the laughter, and the all-in personality of this big brother I have admired and loved for my whole life.
You have chosen to treat me as both friend and sister.
As the only girl, I have always longed for the day to come that I could truly call someone my sister. I am so thankful that you were the first to hold that title. Your faithfulness and care for your own sisters is a model to me as I tread the waters of being a good and godly sister. You are helping me learn how to treat the other 2 women who will someday enter our family through marriage. I couldn't do it without your example.
You chose me as a friend long before any romantic thought of my brother entered your mind. You pushed me to godliness before I even thought being a part of your family was possible. I always prayed that my brothers would marry women I could become best friends with...but I never had to "become" friends with you after the "I do." We were already friends.
You have chosen to enter my family and claim them as your own.
I understand this has not been, nor is an easy task. We are something else, our family. You have seen our sarcastic, introverted, messy selves and decided to stick it out with us. You have decided that my brother was worth putting up with us all for. You have worked endlessly to figure out how we tick so that you could be unified and speak our odd language. You have remained faithful in loving and caring for us, no matter what. We all needed to see that. You have taken our name as you own...and you make it name that reflects Christ. Thank you.
In a month or so, you will gain a new name: Mommy. You are granting me the new name of Aunt. There is a precious life that will carry on the name I may not hold onto for forever. You are going to foster kindness and grace and love and godliness in this child. You are going to partner with my brother to raise him or her up in Truth. You are going to spend the rest of your life praying for and loving this child. You are bringing a great joy into this world...into our family. You are going to be an incredible mother to this child that will very soon have this entire family of big people wrapped around every single tiny finger of his (or hers).
With all of this coming, I have been thinking about and praying for you a lot. Something I have been thinking about is how I want to become a godly influence on your child's life. I want to help you in anyway that I can.
But something that has made me even more excited? Maybe, someday, if I am ever in your position: YOU will be the aunt. YOU will be the woman helping me influence my child toward Christ. YOU will be the person I go to for advice and tears. And I don't want anyone else to be in that position.
I couldn't ask for a better woman to be my first sister.. I couldn't ask for a better friend.