Blog by Polly Boyette
My sister, Robbie is also my closest friend. I love her take on the ordinary world around her. She always sees things differently than anyone else I know. She is unique and not like anybody else I’ve ever met. She just sees things from a different angle. That’s what I love about her the most. She is anything, but boring. Robbie can get me laughing faster than anyone or anything. A lot of the time she doesn’t even mean to be funny, but it’s her unique take on life that makes her stand out from the crowd.
She says so many funny and crazy things. Robbie definitely has her own take on the world around her. She is honest and sincere in her observations. That’s what makes her so special.
You never know what’s going to come out of Robbie’s mouth. I remember one occasion when we were in the car both of us being quiet, maybe because we were tired or just had nothing special to say, when out of the blue Robbie broke the silence.
“You know,” Robbie said. “I’ve never had to pay a late fee on library books. I always get my library books back on time.”
After miles of not saying anything, this is what Robbie used to break the silence. It was profound and definitely unexpected. She looked proud of her accomplishment as she stared out the car window. I just smiled and shook my head in agreement. I guess it was worth mentioning. She was quiet for the rest of the trip. I tried to think of something similar to match her boasting, but nothing immediately came to mind. I had paid library fines in years past, so she had me there. She gave me something to ponder and a goal to reach for in the years ahead.
Another time Robbie walked into the living room and grabbed a book of Forever Stamps. She stared at them for a moment and then looked up at me. I could feel a question coming my way.
“Are these Forever Stamps still good?” she asked.
“Um, yes,” I replied. “They’re Forever Stamps.”
“I know what they are,” Robbie said. “But are they still good to use now?”
I blinked a couple of times and then decided to give it one more try.
“Yes, you can still use them,” I said once again. “They’re FOREVER Stamps!”
Robbie looked frustrated and with her hands on her hips she said once more, “But are they still okay to use for mailing letters? Don’t they run out eventually?”
I reckon Robbie will be the only one in heaven following God around and saying, “Okay God. You can level with me. How long is this eternity thing, five, ten years? Come on, you can tell me.”
Wouldn’t it be a boring world if all of our relationships were only with people just like ourselves, the same opinions, the same likes, and the same perspectives? Different people with different viewpoints make life interesting and they challenge us to look at things from a different angle. But even though we’re each different from the other, God knows everything about us. He created our uniqueness and gave us each different gifts and talents.
Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;”
Even though Robbie and I are sisters and are alike in many ways, God created each of us to be unique with different gifts and talents. Too often we spend a big part of our lives trying to be just like someone else we know, maybe a friend or even a family member. We compare ourselves with others and measure our success by their level of success. But God wants us to celebrate our uniqueness. He doesn’t expect us to be like anyone else. He has a plan and a purpose for each of us, but if we spend all of our time trying to be like someone else, we may miss his specific plan for our lives or at least take the long way round.
Our relationships will be so much richer if we don’t expect everyone to see things the same way we see them, or to think just like we think. We are all different for a reason. God has placed something unique and different inside each of us. The fun part of any relationship should include discovering those unique qualities in the other person, but also allowing them to see who we really are as well.
Robbie and I spend a lot of time laughing, mostly at each other. But I like to believe we make each other better people by simply accepting and allowing each other to be who God created us to be. As the older sister, I sometimes find myself trying to convince Robbie she should do something in a specific way or to see my viewpoint. We can certainly learn from each other along the way, but I’ve also discovered my way or my view is not always the best or the only right way. Many times Robbie’s unique take on life has made me change my opinion or discover a new way to accomplish a task. Those discoveries are what keep life interesting and adds strength to any relationship.
Stop striving to be like someone else. Just be you. Be unexpected. Be who you were created to be. Celebrate the differences! You’ll enjoy life more and your relationships will flourish.