What is a sister?
She is your mirror shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.
I feel honored to be raising sisters and thrilled that I get to watch a new sister relationship take shape and grow each day. Luckily I am half of one of the greatest sister friendships possible (love you Mimi) so I feel I can nurture their closeness through the years. Like Athena and Zoe, Mimi and I are just over a year and a half apart. As children we were best friends who fought bitterly and then made up quickly. Today, my sister is my hero, my friend and my life's story. I love her with all my heart and I expect nothing less for my girls.
Athena and Zoe are already exhibiting familiar feelings that I remember from my own childhood. They are at once deeply connected to each other (Zoe cries bitterly when Athena leaves for school), competitive (always vying for Mommy's attention and lap), mischievous (Athena loves to hide Zoe's favorite bear in the closet), caretaking (Zoe tries to distract Mommy when Athena is getting chastised) and best friends (making each other laugh is the neatest trick) who hold hands in the car.
Watching the girls makes me appreciate and understand this deep connection I have with my own sister. She's been mine since day one and I know no world without Mimi in it. Everyone always talks about "second child syndrome" and it's true Zoe got hand me down clothes, less professional portrait sessions and not as much undivided Mommy and Daddy time as Athena. But Athena, for the first 20 months of her life, didn't have a sister, so I think she's the one who missed out.
Sisters Mimi and Julie circa 1972
11 comments:
Lovely article, you really capture the precious times that make a family member a truly irreplaceable friend, mentor and life long partner.
Awwwwwww, I wish I had that still with my own sister. I can only hope for better for my boys.
I am so blessed to have you and Mimi in my life. Seeing Zoe & Athena together I feel that I am starting it all over with my two grandaughters. What a beautiful article about family. I will make a copy of it and have it framed and keep it close by me.
PS Again you made me cry
There is nothing like it. As my parents always said "It's us against the world". What a beautiful bond between sisters.
How sweet - made me want to go call my sister :) I have a boy and a girl and sometimes it makes me sad to know that they will not have that bond that only same-sex siblings have. And my three year old daughter is not at all crazy about her 6month old brother - which doesn't help matters! I love your blog - your girls are gorgeous!
How sweet - made me want to go call my sister :) I have a boy and a girl and sometimes it makes me sad to know that they will not have that bond that only same-sex siblings have. And my three year old daughter is not at all crazy about her 6month old brother - which doesn't help matters! I love your blog - your girls are gorgeous!
So, so sweet!
I hope the same holds true for brother relationships as well.
perfectly said!!!!
Well written! Your blogs have a way of touching me - I hope you keep all you have written over the years and assemble it into a book (or books) for your girls to have in the future - it will mean the world to them.
Somebody payed attention during their English Lit. classes! Very well said - it was poetry.
By the way, you look just like you did in that picture except with darker hair!
This is such a sweet entry, and I really needed it...so thank you! My younger sister is only 6 years old, and I've lived 3+ hours away her whole life so I didn't really get the experience of growing up with a sister. I'm looking forward to seeing that relationship with my own daughters!
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