I continually ponder over why my sister and I are so different, despite have grown up in the same family. She is a successful doctor. I am a successful… a successful… … well then.
Not only do she and I have the same parents, but we were both very involved in sports AND 4-H growing up. And here’s where our differences begin.
She apparently very much values her past sports experiences, and now her kids are super-involved in sports. My beloved 11-year-old nephew, shown in the photo with my own son, is a four-sport 6th grader. Four-sport! My sister’s entire family takes the kids’ sports very seriously. (I knew we were in trouble when I saw my sister had tears in her eyes after my nephew’s baseball team lost out of a tournament when he was 9.) I, on the other hand, have difficulty taking it seriously. I constantly feel called upon to crack a good joke when I am spectating from the sidelines. I mean, they’re just kids, right?
Conversely, I remember my 4-H days very fondly. I think of 4-H as a life-shaping organization and look forward to getting my kids involved. My sister, though, has been leery to jump on the 4-H bandwagon with her kids. I do think she enjoyed participating in 4-H, but as a parent she might see it as a whole lot of work for the benefit gained.
So this morning I was once again puzzling over life and finally put it together. Whereas my sister has always valued teamwork, I thrive on individual competition. And that’s why she loves sports and I love 4-H! She loves teamwork! I love independence! We are both Americans!
I just love it when I have a psychiatric breakthrough! It makes me feel like I’m learning new things about myself and the world around me every day.