Day 16 of the 30 Day Photo Challenge

This was a hard choice, and since I'm not a "double-dipper", I had to really think about what inspires me, and find that in a single person. I could have easily chosen my diabetic 5 year old, my 80 year old father who has seen it all, or my husband, who pushes me to be the best "me" that I can be. That wouldn't have been fair, I needed to dig deeper. Many qualities were required, inside and out, this person had to be someone pretty special. I'm not always the best at getting my true feelings out there, in fact, I tend to put up a wall and push away those who I could potentially become close with. That being said, here goes nothing.

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you...

This is my beautiful sister, Gloria. She inspires me on many levels, she's smart, kind, generous, loving, and faithful. The list of qualities I appreciate about her continues to grow as I take the time to really listen, and get a grasp of what I've missed out on for so many years.

What, exactly, makes a person inspirational? To me, it's someone who motivates others to look inside themselves and fulfill them with the desire to become a better person. Inspirational people can be talented and intelligent in a variety different ways, they are open minded and embrace the world and all it's treasures. They face their fears, take opportunities, and let themselves know they have their freedom to choose their own path. I couldn't think of a person who better fits this description.

Have I always been open and honest about how I feel? Absolutely not. In fact, I think jealous is a much better adjective to describe how I've felt for so many years. There is no good reason, and it's not right by any means, but I prefer to believe I've outgrown those feelings. Truthfully, I see so many qualities of my mother in my sister, and for that, I'm thankful. I used to let those feelings get me down, I hold my mom on such a high pedestal I swore there would never be another person like her, but maybe this whole time, I was wrong. Each person is unique and special in their own way, but to let someone remind me of my mom has been so hard, but making the decision to embrace it has put a smile on my face.

Gloria is the type of person who always sees the sunny side of a situation, and that makes me smile, even when I'm down. She has so much love to give, it's hard not to accept it, and pass it along. She's a fabulous mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and daughter. The list of things I admire about her continues to grow, as do my feelings of wanting to be more like her. She inspires me to be more loving and kind, more faithful, more of myself.

Maybe, one day, I'll overcome the fear I've carried for so long. I've been afraid to get to know her, to really let her inside my heart. I haven't been afraid of finding something I won't like, the things we disagree on, but the things we have in common. I've been scared to find someone out there who really gets me, I've been worried I may not be good enough for the love she's offered. I promised myself next time, I won't turn it away, I won't let her down. Next time, there may not be another next time. The time is now, I hope it's not too late. I love you, Sis. Thanks for inspiring me.