Family Symphony

My family is like an orchestra. My sister is the violin. She is always the center of attention; filling the halls of our house with her dramatic melody like the treble diva fills the concert hall. My mother comes in second, but only by a measure. She is the cello, carrying my sister's melody just an octave below. Her voice floats under my sister's but is never lost. I am the viola. I hide in the music, supporting the melodies of my sister and mother, without drawing too much attention; stealing the spotlight every once in a while, just to keep the audience guessing. My father is the bass. He is slow and steady, the rhythm that holds us together. He keeps the tempo so we don't rush or lose our place on the page. But sometimes, he is a jazz bass, in a smoky blues bar, so full of soul and beauty that the rest of our orchestra falls silent.