Sisters

I think it took me until my mid-20's to realize just how lucky I am to have a sister. We are 4 years apart (she being the younger) and I left home for University when I was 17 and she was just starting Grade 8. I would come home for the summer and, thinking my s**t didn't stink, stir the pot for a few months and head off again to the land of fun. I don't know that I ever felt very close to her during those years and I think I missed out on a great deal of a very wonderful person's life.

When we were kids, I know we had fun together camping or playing in the pool when neither of us had friends around that we had to act cool in front of. I remember lots of fun games and crazy times, but those grew fewer and further between as we got older.

When I moved to Japan is when I really started to miss her. I would call and chat and try to figure out what was going on in her life and wish that I could be there with her. It was when I moved to Vancouver and knew nobody (except for Mike) that I really started to feel connected. It was odd, I thought, to have to rely on your little sister for a social life, but I did. Many late nights at her basement suite catching up and getting to know each other. I fell in love all over again with my baby sister during those few years and I cherish her friendship and unwavering support now. Living at the other end of the province and seeing each other only a couple of times a year is terribly difficult for me, but I know she's only a phone call away most of the time.

Now, my own little monkey girls...They are close in age (2 and a bit years), completely different in character, and have a love/hate thing going on this summer that I just am unable to handle. Some days they play soooooo nicely that it's almost scary. Other days they are at each other from the minute they get up until they go to bed. I am being driven slowly insane by the bickering and tattling that is recently dissolving into name-calling and physical damage (mostly small towards big). Big doesn't retaliate, which I am SO proud of, but there are times when I feel like telling her to give it right back to the little one and both barrels at that. That, however, would be poor mothering, don't you think?

Just the other day when I was beginning to think that I wouldn't hold out much hope for a happy afternoon, we were invinted to Nonno & Nonna's for a sleep-inducing, calorie-laden Italian lunch. I was just going to tell them for the zillionth time to stop using all of Nonno's Post-It notes when Jordan stopped me to tell me she was writing a song for Maya. Since there has been no lyrical creation to top "JollyMan" yet, I waited it out and asked her to kindly use both sides of the paper then if it was to be long. Here is her creation, called "You Are My Sister". Not sure if it's a song or a poem yet. You decide, but it makes me teary each and every time...

You are my sister.

You keep a secret.

You come when I call.

I love you and you love me,

And when you call I come.

I can only hope that they continue to love and cherish one another (oh, and that they stop stealing one another's Barbie shoes).