There are many unexpected blessings that have come my way in the last couple of years, and one of the most precious is one that came with the dear sister God gave me: the opportunity to be an auntie. My sister has raised, and continues to raise, four amazing children. The relationship I have with each of them is unique and priceless in my life.

With her eldest, I share a love of photography and always enjoy the conversations we have when we are together. He is intelligent and talented, with a very artistic eye. In the time I’ve known him, I’ve had the privilege of seeing how all of her love and support paved the way for him to become independent and begin building a future for himself through experience and education.

With her second child, I have learned the value of quiet strength. We love to walk together on the beach and hunt for shells while we talk about the things of life. She and I have already been through difficult times together, and I am so grateful for the strengthening of our connection as a result. She is a very bright, beautiful young woman with a special soul. Her sense of responsibility runs deep, and the relationship she has with her mom is singular and strong. This is a person who cares deeply for her siblings, often displaying patience rarely found in young adults.

My sister’s third child is as beautiful as her sister and her mom, and I have learned is the one most like her mom. She keeps a fairly tough exterior, but in reality has a loving, generous, and tender heart. She is one who is as intelligent as she is gorgeous, and because of that, will likely be underestimated by those who don’t know her well. This is a girl I love to spend time with, drinking coffee and talking about whatever needs talking about at the time. I feel so blessed to be someone she is able to open up to and trust, and it is extremely important to me that I do my best to never steer her wrong.

The relationship I have with her youngest is yet another that I treasure. He and I share a love of writing, and we enjoy working together to write stories. He is young, not yet in junior high school, but he is immensely talented and highly intelligent. He has a creative mind that is always seeking outlets for expression. Over the last year he has developed a love of cooking and is truly gifted. He has made a number of things that I wouldn’t even begin to know how to make – baklava, chicken tikka masala, homemade spring rolls, just to name a few – and makes a German Chocolate Cake that beats any I’ve ever had. This is a boy who sees something he wants to do, and then finds a way to do it. He is funny and kind, and fiercely protective of the people he loves.

All four children are truly amazing in their own ways, and the people they are becoming is a direct result of the incredible mother who is raising them. She has taught them to be strong and to think for themselves. She has also developed a relationship with each of them that allows for open communication, which enables her to guide them through difficult times. I can see so clearly that God anointed her specifically to mother each one of these kids, because she has something each one has needed that nobody else can offer them.

It is such a precious blessing for me to have the opportunity to be an auntie to these fabulous people, made all the more treasured because of who their mother is and how much she means to me. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to help her or her kids, and I would protect any of them with my life. Mistakes are made, and I know how much it takes for her to trust me with her kids the ways she does. Just as I know she is anointed to be their mother, I know I’ve been anointed to be her sister, and by extension, their auntie. Somewhere in the beginnings of our friendship we became family, and I will always be grateful for that gift, doing whatever I can to protect and fight for what God has given us.

What unexpected blessings has God brought to your life, and what are you doing to show your gratitude, as well as care for those blessings? Never take them for granted… always see them for the beautiful treasure they are, and treat them accordingly.