My sister is a liver and kidney transplant surgeon (I know, calm your ambition much).
She’s one of those rare individuals who, from the age of five, knew she wanted to be a doctor. My mom often tells the story of how my sister frequently got in trouble for hiding under a blanket with a flashlight, reading a book, when she was supposed to be sleeping—just one of many stories highlighting her studious nature and foreshadowing her future career.
My sister’s the oldest. I’m the baby. It’s just the two of us.
While being the oldest comes with many blessings, it also comes with many curses. Younger siblings are inadvertently annoying (though there are plenty of examples of me being advertently annoying too). While I never wanted to “be” my sister, my actions proved otherwise—I dressed like her, I constantly wanted to play with her, I wanted to excel in academics like her, I went to the same college as her, and the list goes on…And she tolerated all of it (most of the time).
Growing up, my sister was like a second mom. She very much assumed a protective, motherly role. My mom was a single mom for most of our childhoods, so as the oldest, adult responsibilities were prematurely thrust on my sister’s shoulders. While my mom was working 2+ jobs and going to school, I often became my sister’s responsibility. And she tolerated all these responsibilities (most of the time). Though, driving a car full of sweaty, post-workout gymnasts (of which I was one) voraciously consuming Cheez-Its, might’ve driven her over the edge once or twice.
Even though my sister cuts people open, regularly has her hands embedded in people’s abdomens, deals with the most impressive organ in the body (the liver), and restores life in the coolest way I can imagine, at the end of the day, she’s just my sister. She’s the only one who can call me “Jessi” or “messy” or “messy Jessi” and get away with it. And I’m the only one that can terrorize her by addressing all correspondence to “Dr. Conzen,” precisely because she absolutely hates it.
Seven years ago, I watched a TED Talk about the importance of sibling relationships. It described sibling relationships in all their complicated glory and advocated for why we should continue to invest in our sibling relationships (despite all their complicated glory). Namely because they’re the longest relationships we’ll ever have. I’d never thought of my relationship with my sister in this way before. But it’s true. She’s known me since I was born, and God willing, we’ll accompany each other into old age.
Today is National Sister’s Day (at least according to this website). I don’t know the backstory of when or how this day came into being, but I think it’s worth celebrating. Considering, this is a tribute to my sister. And to all sisters.
Dr. Conzen, I love you.
