A burden shared is a burden halved.
There is a silence… an unspoken, unsettling silence visible in our glances, felt in our pauses, as we hold back emotions that words cannot quite carry. The worldliness of a brother embracing responsibilities, trying to bring cheer to his little sister, making sure she is comfortable and cared for may appear effortless. But the quiet responsibility of a sister, trying to hold the family together while keeping her own emotions tucked away, carries a weight far greater than physical strength. And yet, here we are… three siblings, standing for one another, becoming each other’s cushion when the ground beneath our parents feels uncertain. Perhaps that is what family truly means; not that one person has to be strong all the time, but that when one begins to falter, the others quietly step closer. This time, I am here, hugging him, pampering him, rubbing his feet and palms, making sure he is warm under the blanket. And somewhere in the quiet, my heart sinks when his familiar voice doesn’t ech...