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 echo, “You don’t worry, na, Mama. I am here. You just sit beside me, get comfortable and relax. We will see.”

A big brother’s love has a certain chaos to it; protective, reassuring, sometimes unspoken. I can almost visualize it, feel it happening around me. And when you are not there in the house, Bhaina, I realize how much of my strength I unknowingly draw from simply knowing that you are there.

And then there is my little brother, Omu.

You probably never realized how quietly, and how soon, you became an elder brother to me in so many ways, taking care of my emotions, noticing the things I don't say, and soothing this aching heart without ever making a fuss about it.

There is an ocean of emotions between us that perhaps no one else can hear, but I sense every bit of it. And just as you have stood beside me, I want you to know that I will always stand beside you too. Whatever life brings, you will never have to carry it alone.

We have seen so much. We have weathered losses, carried responsibilities, and are still learning how to navigate the days that life places before us. But perhaps that is the strength of being siblings; we don't have to explain every silence, every worry, or every tear. We simply know.

They say, “A burden shared is a burden halved.” And perhaps that is what we are doing for our parents and for each other, sharing the weight, creating a little cushion around them, and reminding one another that none of us has to stand alone.

The roots of a family are strengthened not in the easy days, but in the storms we weather together.

I cannot put into words how proud and blessed I feel to have two brothers like you and Bhaina. Different in the ways you love, different in the ways you care, but equally precious to me.

Whatever roles life asks us to play, I hope we continue to stand shoulder to shoulder for our parents, for each other, and for this little family that means the world to us.

Always your sister. ❤️