The Dreamer, Stoic, Entertainer, and Knight
Jan 14, 2026 | By Aalia Holt SY ‘27
Birds of a feather flock together, so goes the old adage. But, is it really true? Is it true that the more similar two people are, the easier friendship forms. In the best of friends, something far more important than similarities are at work; there we find forgiveness and shared commitment. The story of a young girl reveals close friendships forming around feathers of various shades and shapes.
Although this young girl is just beginning her life, she enters the world with a friend already in her cousin, the Dreamer, who preceded her by five years. Though she doesn’t know she has a friend yet, she will grow to learn this. The terrible twos hit, and she was an absolute menace to this cousin and got her into trouble out of spite. They fought viciously but also loved fiercely. She would annoy her at one moment but in the next wrap her small body around her older cousin’s legs just to stay with her a bit longer. They grew to love and confide in each other. They even shared a bedroom for a year, becoming sisters in all but name.
Playing classroom and JustDance turned into days filled with dreaming, late nights star gazing on the roof of a cow trailer, and confessions of hopes barely spoken. Soon, the young girl became a young woman, but not without the company of her cousin and friend. On her cousin’s wedding day, she was the one holding the bride's bouquet as the Dreamer recited her wedding vows to her husband-to-be. The Stoic entered her life next, when she was almost five years old, and quickly became her partner in crime. He came into her life quietly at about the age of one, in a little yellow toy Tonka truck and soon, despite the age gap, he ended up pushing the girl around in the truck instead. He was adopted from South Korea by the girl's uncle, and at such a young age he traveled more miles to reach the little girl's arms than she even knew existed yet. As loud as she had the propensity to be, she learned to listen to his quiet indicators. The girl even learned to calm her ever-effusive opinions to be mindful of what he wanted, yet didn’t say. He was the kind of boy who seemed stoic on the outset, and he would mull over a thought for days before sharing his heart with her in the stillness of night when the rest of the house slept.
While their heads lay side by side, he would say her name into the silence and wait for her response. Then once given full attention, he would elaborate; often starting with a question. Eventually, the earnest conversation would inevitably devolve into giggles, inducing their grandfather to open the door and inquire about the noise, generally obtaining the sheepish response that, “Nothing was going on!” She lived to disrupt his stoic exterior with laughter just to watch his face split into a smile so full of joy no other could compare. Later in life, seeing each other would become much harder: The girl and her Stoic would be separated by state lines and moving households. Yet, every vacation, whenever possible, they would make time in their schedules to visit one another reflecting their continued commitment.
After many nerf wars and train track constructions, the girl's first sibling was born–a bright little girl: the Entertainer. At seven years of age the girl ushered in her sister’s birth with excitement and enthusiasm. She would explain to any adult within earshot, “I KNEW that the baby would be a girl.” This is perhaps where the girl’s idea of authority over her baby sister started. She was her sister. This of course would conflict with her younger sister’s claim to independence later on. What ensued could be considered a civil war of types. Her dramatic seven-year-old mind perceived her parents' leniency on her younger sister a violation of all that is fair and just in the world. Nevertheless, the dramatic swing of their relationship had its high moments. Her little sister grew into her dance partner, honorary tea party guest, and photography model. She choreographed, and her sister followed in her footsteps. All the while, her sister was evolving into an artist of all sorts: a budding author, developing violinist, and bleeding heart. However, her sister’s effusive emotion was often difficult for the girl to understand due to her occasionally cold and always stubborn habit of rationality. Nonetheless, she loved her Entertainer even when she was exasperated by her. Thus peace treaties were always signed even if the terms were bound to be broken later on. Forgiveness keeps them together as friends and sisters.
The littlest and youngest of the girl’s siblings and friends entered her life the day before her tenth birthday: the Knight. He was twisted up like a tootsie roll in wrapping when he was placed in her arms by their parents. By the time his arms and legs were freed from swaddling she would lug him around on her hip. Then, before she knew it, he was talking, asking questions he wanted answered, and developing a taste for sarcastic quips and repartee.
Their mother often referred to the boy as his eldest sister’s “mini me” because of their shared propensity for intellectual conversation and witty humor. Indulging these pursuits, the eldest sister read mythology and science to him, and listened as he recited every fact he knew about Cassawaris and Gila monsters. Finally, as it came time for the girl to leave for college, she watched as her brother became more than her mini-me or the child she cared for.
He mustered great maturity and consideration in order to understand the nuance that the girl was not leaving him, but she was still leaving. He took this consideration even further by expressing his love and care in the ways that he knew how. When his eldest sister was worried about an exam, he prayed for her peace and success. During difficult adjustments and worry, the girl’s little brother exhibited the wisdom and consideration of a man far older. He found special ways to support and express his love for her from miles away, even though he was ten years her junior.
Each and every night before his still present bedtime, he reaches out to her through text with a GIF or short text telling his sister goodnight and that he loves her. He extended the warmth of friendship and love to her against all odds of distance and age. Each and every time they separate it is a sad occasion, but one that is accomplished with a shared sense of responsibility. On his part, it is not letting her go, but instead commitment to his eldest sister despite the physical distance.
It is easy to see that all of these characters, the Dreamer, Stoic, Entertainer, and Knight, are very different in personality and interests, though equally important. The girl’s, or Storyteller’s, friendship with each is unique and not weakened by differences, whether dispositional or in age. They exemplify qualities of true friendship–commitment and forgiveness. The Dreamer believes in her friend with an undying commitment to her hopes and dreams, and forgives the Storyteller of both her inconsideration as a child and current frustrating tendencies. The Stoic commits his vacations just to seeing the Storyteller and her family, and forgives her for the times she was the mastermind and instigator of trouble. The Entertainer commits to loving and forgiving the Storyteller despite the numerous times she has hurt the Entertainer’s feelings. Finally, the Knight commits to encouraging the Storyteller, offering stability to her, and ultimately forgiving her for leaving.
The Storyteller is known by her friendships, as they commit to her she commits to them. As they forgive her, she forgives them. In fact, her friendships have shaped her, becoming for her, her own polychromatic plumage.