A juxtapose shows Clarke Central High School senior and Editor-in-Chief Molly Harwell, Chase Street Elementary School fifth-grader Nate Harwell and Visuals Staffer and CCHS freshman Sam Harwell (from left to right) sitting atop a hill on August 1, 2014 and standing on the porch of their home on August 3, 2023. For Molly, her brothers have continues to be her biggest supporters and have molded her into the person she is today. “I can’t count the number of times that you have taken the blame for me, or comforted me after a hard conversation. Whether you are bringing me a snack or helping me through a stressful period, I know that I can lean on you,” Molly wrote. Photos courtesy of Jana Harwell
Editor-in-Chief Molly Harwell writes a letter to her 14-year-old brother, Sam, and her nine-year-old brother, Nate, about the many ways they have impacted her life.
Dear Sam and Nate,
I don’t think you realize how much you have impacted my life. You guys are my built-in-best friends, my partners in crime, my therapists and my favorite people on this Earth.
I tell you this all the time, but three is my favorite number because every good thing comes in threes: reduce, reuse, recycle, the three little pigs, Harry, Ron and Hermione. No matter what, it’s always been the three of us: Molly, Sam and Nate.
No one understands me quite like you two, not even Mom and Dad. You can tell instantly when I feel sad, when I need a hug, and when I’m annoyed. You always know exactly what to say to get me out of a mood and you know exactly what I need before I even say it.
As your older sister, it’s my responsibility to keep you in line. Ever since we were young, I have fussed over you: constantly correcting you, cleaning up after you, watching you and protecting you.
However, sometimes, you guys are the ones who protect me.
I can’t count the number of times that you have taken the blame for me, or comforted me after a hard conversation. Whether you are bringing me a snack or helping me through a stressful day at school, I know that I can lean on you.
I can’t count the number of times that you have taken the blame for me, or comforted me after a hard conversation. Whether you are bringing me a snack or helping me through a stressful day at school, I know that I can lean on you.
Sam, you are the funniest, kindest, most sincere person I know. Thank you for putting up with my shenanigans for 14 years and holding me accountable as a sister and as a friend. You have stuck by my side through thick and thin, and for that, I am so, so grateful.
Nate, you mean the absolute world to me. I have never met someone so expressive and loving and wise. From the minute you came into my life, I knew that I would always have your back and you would always have mine. I can’t thank you enough for all the ways you have shaped me.
Sam and Nate, being your older sister is one of my favorite things in the world. Though you get on my nerves (a lot), I know that you will always be there to support me.
I guess what they say is true – three really is a magic number.