I never expected to be giving my sister such a hard time as an adult: brother forces sister to do her homework is not the headlines I would have expected at 38 years of age, but here we are. Life has a way of tossing us into all sorts of sticky situations when we least expect it.
So what the heck am I talking about here? You see, my sister decided to pursue a career in massage therapy, but… she’s lazy. Or perhaps it’s simple reluctance, or a feeling of overwhelm. She has no shortage of passion, but she’s not one to live life to the hilt like I do, and that can cause problems. Sometimes you just need to take the risk and lean in for the awkward kiss, or ask your boss for that raise.
So I forced my sister to do her homework…
I’ve never been one to shy away from inserting myself into her business, but when it comes to big life decisions like this, I try and give her space to think and (hopefully) make the smart decision. But upon further reflection, I decided this was just too important not to support her, even if it meant being a little pushy. It’s for her own good!
So what does that look like?
Well, she’s been massaging me for years now – something that normal family members tend to do as adults – and I reminded her how much she enjoyed it, and how great it would feel to be sharing that experience with more people.
After that, I went ahead and signed her up for a massage class at the local community college, and to my surprise, she wasn’t angry. She started attending classes, and after a few weeks, I was impressed by how strong her grip strength had become. My friend Bart would often massage my glutes, and I was always impressed with his vice-like strength. But my sister? She was at a whole other level.
After a year, she graduated and quickly found a job at a local clinic, helping the world one body at a time.
I’m proud of her, and happy that I made the decision to be the brother that forced his sister to do her homework and get on with her life, leaving that crappy job slinging burgers at the local diner to pursue her passion, which is helping people feel good. During my darkest hours, she was there for me, ready and willing to use her special touch to drain me of all the pent up tension I was feeling at the time. I’m glad that she’s finally able to share this very special gift with the world, even if it means she has less time to take care of me.
