My brother and I don't have the typical sibling relationship. We don't speak all the time, and we're not affectionate towards each other, but I think the unspoken rule is that we're always there for each other.
One of the biggest joys and honors of my life is to see my brother become a family man, and I don't think I've ever said that out loud (I suppose writing counts).
Growing up, my brother was the de facto man of the house because Papa was away most of the time. Looking back, I wish I had been a nicer sister, and that I had done more household chores because that could not have been easy for him. I used to get annoyed when he'd play U2 or the Beatles nonstop (mostly because we didn't have our own devices) and today, I'd be the first to admit he has impeccable taste in music.
It's something to watch them as a family, and see how my nephews are growing kind, curious about the world, and passionate about certain things. And even though my nephews are both teenagers, I can tell they enjoy it when we hang out as a family, and at least for now, they still agree to stay in the same hotel room as me.
The only thing we don't always agree on is Taylor Swift, but that's alright, I have Jenna to bond with for that.
Whenever I travel, it's almost second nature to pause and wonder what James and Joseph would think about something. One of my greatest joys was showing them New York -- the spots that helped me reset when I miss home, my favorite croissant of all time, and reminding them that if I can do it, they can dream even bigger if they want to.
And one of the biggest gifts of my life is that even though my nephews have spent most of their lives with me overseas, I have two best friends I can count on for the latest Gen-Z trends and NBA trades.