These three.

If they knew I was taking this picture, they would have quickly un-linked their arms and given each other a look as if to say, here she goes again, taking pictures.

I love these moments. I want to permanently sketch them on the lining of my soul so as to never forget just how much these 3 kids love each other.

They fight, they yell, and they get jealous. Most days it feels like everything-I mean every.damn.thing. is a competition. I want to teach them exactly how to love each other- what to say, how to act, and when and exactly how to say I am sorry or I forgive you. I forget how much they love each other.

But they do. They love each other so freaking much. They lift each other up in moments of sadness or fear or hurt. They surprise each other on birthdays with homemade presents and decorations in bedrooms. They feel each other’s happiness and sadness. They sit on the sidelines and cheer for their siblings playing soccer, hockey, and lacrosse and they want each other to score a goal just as much as they want themselves to. They often choose family nights over plans with friends. They wipe each other’s tears and tuck each other in at night.

The only constant they have in their lives is each other.

They are children of divorce living a shared-custody life. Mondays and Tuesdays at dad’s. Wednesdays and Thursdays at Moms. Weekends? Well, they alternate and are unpredictable. Sometimes the schedule changes because mom has to work late or dad is out of town. They don’t have mom every day and they don’t have dad every day.

They have each other every day.

And that’s it. That is the one and only thing they have each and every day that doesn’t change.

I hope they look back at these days with gratitude for the moments of linked-arms and silly eye-rolls at mom being mom. I hope they laugh at the fights over stolen phone chargers and cute shirts and I hope they remember just how much they helped, loved and depended on one another during their childhood. And more than anything in the whole world, I hope they never stop supporting, loving, surprising and cheering for each other- no matter where life takes them.

In the meantime, I will keep taking blurry, unfocused photos in hopes that I can capture these moments of complete and utter peace and love before they catch me and try to pretend they don't love each other so damn much. Maybe one day they will realize loving your siblings is actually pretty cool.