I’ve been blessed in my life with sisters. One older, two younger and one sister in law. This picture was taken last summer when we all got together for a weekend.

Sisters fill a need in a girl’s life. If you didn’t have one you likely adopted a close friend or associate in place of one. If you were lucky enough to have one, you had a need filled long before you knew the need existed. Women need women and the meaningful relationships that result in their lives. It’s why the bonds of mother/daughter and sisters are so powerful. These relationships aren’t just handy, they’re down right convenient because no matter how mad you make your sister, how terribly you fight they are still your family and there’s that unwritten rule that family has to love and accept you no matter what.

We’re all totally different, yet so much the same. I cherish every relationship for what it is and can’t imagine losing it. My older sister was my comrade as a little girl. We played together, laughed together, cried together. I was so sad when she got married before I’d hit the dating stage as I’d always dreamed of doubling together sometime. I got to make up for that years later on a double date with our spouses. *big grin* My younger sister and I got off to a rocky start. She was just enough younger that we didn’t have the comrade bond as youngsters but she looked up to me and tried so hard to do and be all the things she saw her teenage sister doing. Only now that I have my own daughter wanting/trying to be a teen do I fully comprehend this great pull. Now that we’re both moms we seem to have the most in common and what our relationship lacked as kids it has found ten fold as adults. My youngest sister shared a special bond with me because I was old enough to be more of primary care giver to her and I adored babies. Her baby is due during the same time we will be visiting next week and while we can’t put a finger on exactly what it is, there is just something really comforting to both of us that I’ll be there for it. Then there’s the sister in law that plays a solo role because we only have one brother. She’s like the back scratcher that reaches that itch you just can’t quite touch on your own. I love talking with her, sharing stories, views, opinions and experiences. Her wit and warmth radiate from her. And I have to include my mom in the sisterhood circle because she’s always been one of the closet to me. It sounds corny and cliche to call her my best friend but in so many ways she’s always been just that - always there for me when I needed her then and now.

The unfortunate element of the family bond is that because we tend to believe there’s a no matter what clause we often treat our family members the worst. I look back on my relationships with my sisters and I can see where I was better to my friends most of the time or even complete strangers than to my own siblings. That makes me sad now. The upside is that time is a great healer and the relationships I share with my sisters now is so sweet and so wonderful.

I’m sure I wasn’t always the best sister. In fact, I’m sure the same could be said even today, but I am truly grateful for the chance to have sisters and for all they’ve given me. So to the comrade, admirer, baby doll, back scratcher and confidant I send my heartfelt thanks for helping me learn how to be a sister and how to appreciate having one.

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