The Blessing of a Sister

Growing up, my sister was my #1 hero. She was beautiful, tall (unlike me), a brunette (unlike me), fun, confident, and simply, AMAZING. Although she went off to college when I was just two years old, I remember being so incredibly excited to talk to her on the phone when she'd call, and so thrilled when she'd agree to come upstairs to play Barbies with me after arriving home for school vacations. To this day I remember pulling on her arm, begging her to come upstairs to my bedroom to play. When she married, I was her 4 year old flower girl and I could not have been more proud.

She always treated me special. I'd receive presents and cards in the mail and for about 10 years, from age 8 to 18, I would join her in NH for a week or two of complete indulgence! Together we would make trips to amusement parks, go on picnics, have lazy but magical days playing in her home, go out to dinner, see movies, and visit the toy store where she would buy me any toy that I wanted.

When her son was born and baptized she asked me to be his Godmother. And when I married she served as my Matron of Honor. She continued to be an attentive sister sending me handmade bittersweet wreaths to hang on my apartment door and inviting my husband and I to her home. Spending time with my big sister was always a treat. Incredibly, despite our 16 year age gap, we both became mothers of little girls within a few months of one another and together we raised our girls with frequent visits to one another's homes. The girls became close and to this day, it takes a mere 10 minutes at the most for them to sink into silliness when they get together.

But it was in 1999 when I went on maternity leave with my son that my sister and I truly grew close. The technology of the internet and email allowed us to check in with one another daily. We began talking about things, big and small, and discovered we had more in common than we had ever realized. Email allowed us the chance to vent with one another and to support one another on a daily basis. We laughed over ridiculous parenting struggles and our favorite television shows, and we supported one another on days when we felt like we were falling apart. We became one another's sounding board, asked each other for advice, sent pictures, and traded recipes.

As a little girl I used to look up to my sister. She was an astonishing creature to me. I likened her to the most attractive actresses I would see on tv. To this day I still tell her that she looks like Mariska Hargitay and/or Sela Ward. But in truth, she is much more beautiful than they are, because she's more to me than a pretty face. She is a strong, creative, fun, intelligent, and loving woman and in her I know I have someone I will love and admire for the rest of my life. The best part is that I know she feels the same way about me.

Almost 43 years ago, my sister received news that after being a big sister to three brothers, she finally had a sister. I was blessed to have one my entire life, but it's truly a beautiful thing to have your childhood hero evolve into your equal in adulthood. It's a blessing to have your sister be your best friend.