autumn
When I give tours, I never realized how much I bring up my family. Specifically, my little sister, Autumn. From a little joke about having a “practice roommate” to bragging about her endeavors, I had three separate tours in the last week say how close we must be. And while she has not always been my built in best friend, the distance between us has brought us closer than I ever thought possible. And my goodness, I just miss her so much!
First and foremost, I just want to say, Autumn and I are complete opposites. Whether that be in our looks or our personalities, I never thought our differences would allow us to get along… ever. It just took 17 years and 120 miles between us. Now, she is my best friend, a protector, and my own personal comedian. I am so proud to be her sister! I just adore her!
So, here are just some of my favorite things about Autumn that make me miss her oh so much:
Her quick wit! She is quick to fire back. It makes for excellent conversation as you wonder where on Earth her thoughts emerged from.
Her servant heart. She is quick to aid the people that she loves. If you need help, she is the person to call.
She is a good (but funny) listener. When I need to call and rant, I always know that I can count on her to answer (and provide great commentary while explaining what happened).
She will call you out. She will hold you accountable! If you make a promise, she will hold you to it. If you are stepping out of line, she will call you out on it (the politeness of it is up for debate).
She is not afraid to speak her mind! She is someone that is strong and steadfast. Autumn is unwavering in her beliefs and will definitely call you out (if need be).
She always wants to make people laugh. Whether that be laughing at something with you or laughing at you, her laughter is something that is contagious. More times than not, I am what she is making fun of, and that previous sense of annoyance at her jokes has turned into something I adore.
She is a protector. She will stand up for her beliefs and the people that she loves without the fear of repercussions.
She has a beautifully tender heart. As one of the strongest people I know, she has one of the greatest capacities for love that I have ever witnessed.
She taught me what it looks like to live freely and without the fear of judgment from others.
Autumn has a beautiful voice. (I would like to say she gets it from me, but she really gets it from Pappy). One of my favorite things to do is listen to her sing. She is amazing. Even since I was young, I have always wished my voice sounded like hers.
She takes the time to know the ins and outs of people. Autumn is intentional. She wants to love people in the way that they best receive love, so she simply makes them feel known. Whether that be a small gift, text, or a hug. She makes people feel seen and known and welcomed and valued.
She will watch stupid movies with me. She is someone that will both laugh at the movie while also being deeply intrigued by the story line. (it only took me watching Twilight 300 times for her to also like it. Unfortunately, she is Team Jacob).
She has a great sense of style. I always admire the jewelry she wears and the eye that she has for clothes.
She is independent! She is content with who she is and does not seek the validation of others. It is a quality I admire so deeply within her.
She has no fear of the unknown. I have never seen someone live so wildly and so freely without being scared to face tomorrow. Yet, Autumn does that. She takes every day for what it is, always praying for a better tomorrow.
Her growth as a person. I have admired watching her grow up these past few years. She strives for a better, more independent, and more loving version of herself everyday. It has been an honor watching her grow into who she is and into her own skin.
Autumn is a challenger. She will not allow you to get away with anything! She will ask you the hard questions (even when you do not want to hear them). She wants what is best for the people around her, and if that means being honest, then being honest is something she will be.
I love the love that she has for our dad! She is a miniature version of him. From her looks to her thoughts to the things she says… she is our dad through and through. It is sweet to watch them interact as we share the same love for him!
She will stand by you. With whatever decision you make, she will be your biggest fan. She will always want what is best for you (of course), but she will stand by you and fight for you with every decision you make.
She gives great hugs. I AM A HUGGER!!!! And she gives great ones. She is such a safe person to be around. She is one of my favorite people to spend time with!
BONUS: she can bake!!! she listens to taylor swift with me! she has amazing music taste! she sends me funny tik toks (might be her love language).
One of the hardest things about being so far away from her is now watching her life in pictures and videos. There is so much of her life that I am only able to see on a screen now. Yet, she allows me to be a part of all of it. I get to watch her life in little squares on Instagram and hear her voice in voice memos and facetime calls. And I get to do the same with her. And next year (even though she will be even farther away) I cannot wait to learn how to call the hogs just for her. (woo pig!)
I love you, Autumn!
