My Sister, My Inspiration

I’m sure if I asked you who you look up to, you could readily name a person or two. Most of us can – we usually find and draw inspiration from amazing people around us, in our community, or in entertainment.

For me, that person is my little sister. At one time in my life, I had this notion that big sisters didn’t look up to little sisters – we paved the way, we lead, we inspired our little sisters…but we most certainly never followed the path or were inspired by little sisters. But I’ve come to see so much error in my thinking.

My little sister inspires me daily by how she lives, how she loves, the things she does, her drive, and the way she pushes through tough circumstances. She always asks me tough questions when I’m facing things – helping me to delve into my inner thoughts, or helping me decipher things going on around me. She helps me problem solve parenting tasks and business tasks. She’s a sounding board when I’m frustrated.

This beautiful soul that I love so dearly is a single mom, raising a handsome and respectful young man. He holds doors, says please and thank you, and is as smart as they come. I love talking with my nephew on the phone or on video calls. He is so very special to me.

Along with raising her boy so very well, my sister decided to start a business with our mom. They took the leap about three years ago, and haven’t looked back since. Many of you know running a business is extremely hard work, but they were up for the challenge and have put in countless hours and effort to build the momentum and success of Busy Bees.

I think most of us would stop here – maybe dabble in a hobby if we found a moment of free time, but raising her son and running her business obviously filled her plate. But something was missing. My sister always wanted a big family. She felt the tug on her heart to fill her home with children.

The longing grew and it grew. She had a few ideas along the way, but nothing was the “right” idea…that is, not until it hit her that her home was a safe place for foster kids. I remember her telling me and the pride I felt swelled in my heart immediately. But I heard doubt in her voice, fear maybe. Honestly, I was afraid that she was afraid that I was going to judge something about her idea. How could I? This amazing woman, with all this love to give, and she put her heart on the line to bring in hurting kids. I admire her more than I truly have the words to describe.

She is learning so much about helping kids navigate big feelings, big life events, and the day-to-day that we muddle through as we cope with big changes. She is teaching them gently, loving them deeply, and giving to them freely. She is making a huge impact on little lives.

Well, now I’m on a mission to make her life a little bit easier. Her car blew up and died on her. It’s financed through Toyota, at a ridiculous interest rate (which you can read more about here), and she owes too much on the Prius to do anything other than replace the engine. This is where I am trying to help. I am trying to offset the cost of the motor so she can continue her good work, so she can put her money toward things the kids need, or she needs, or her house needs to run smoothly.

I would greatly appreciate your help sharing this. I am using the hashtag #HelpAdriane to try to get the word out. So far, we’ve raised about $800 of the $6000 needed to replace the motor. I am praying that not only do we gather enough donations for the motor, but that we can rally around her and go above and beyond and maybe get this car paid off so she has one less thing to worry about.

Thank you for taking the time to read and share this. My sister is the most amazing person. She means so very much to me.

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