You can kid the world. But not your sister. Charlotte Gray)
Did you ever read a quote that carried any more truth? Sisters know us and love us in a way no one else can.
One of the reasons I’m thinking about sisters today is because it’s my middle sister’s birthday. So I hunted up a picture of my sisters and me. The birthday girl is the one making the funny face and I’m the one not looking at the camera. My older sister is smiling at the camera the way you’re supposed to.
The birthday sister isn’t quite two years older than I am. As kids, we were constant playmates. We did chores together. We made mudpies together. We played who knows how many board games and card games together. We surely had some fusses too, but I’ve not held onto the memory of those. I just remember the good things such as finding a big rock over in the field that looked like a little sofa and playing house there. Or going on adventures in the woods. Or making paperdolls by cutting out models in catalogs and gluing them to cardboard. And so much more.
I’ve written plenty of posts here that mention sisters. One of the reasons for that is my book, Angel Sister. The inspiration for that story was my mom and her sisters and the stories they used to tell about their growing up years. In Angel Sister, I wanted to highlight that special bond sisters have for one another.
In this post with segments pulled from a other posts I’ve written in the past, I’m sharing about sisters again. Now I have grandchildren who have that sister bond. Three sisters in each set of grandchildren.
“A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.” (Marion C. Garretty)
When you’re kids living in the same house, you’re sometimes ready to choke one another, but the sister bond changes as the years go by. The older sister who tormented you with her superior ways is now the sister you can count on when you need help. The younger sister who spilled your favorite perfume and was such a pest is now the sister who will hold your hand through the worst doctor’s visits or walk with you through the hard times of caretaking your parents. And the middle sister – she’s the glue who holds the sisters together. She’s the one with the ready ear and the shoulder to cry on when things aren’t going well. It’s that middle sister who is having a birthday today.
In Angel Sister, Kate is a middle sister who feels she has to be the responsible one – the one who wants to make sure things turn out right for her family.
Our sisters do know us. They shared the same experiences growing up. They know about that first cake you made that even the dogs wouldn’t eat. They know about the snake that wanted to share the inner tube you were floating in at the pond. They remember how much you loved your first dog. They know about the time you got lost in the snowstorm in the city and still talk about how somehow that turned out okay. They were there at the beginning when you first took up a pen to write a story. They laughed at you and drove you crazy. They knew exactly who you were and they kept loving you even when they didn’t like you so much.
“You keep your past by having sisters. As you get older, they’re the only ones who don’t get bored if you talk about your memories.” (Deborah Moggach)
Thank goodness, my mother and her sisters never got tired of talking about their “good old days.” And that I never got tired of listening to them. Without those oft repeated stories, I might never have written Angel Sister. My sisters and I don’t do the “remember when” as much as Mom and her sisters did. But maybe we should – where our kids can hear. Our pasts are a gift of experiences and love that we should pass along to the younger generation. And then eventually they will do the same. That’s what families do.
“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.” —Barbara Alpert
I promised a Christmas giveaway here for you all who read my blog posts. So here you go. I’ll pick three winners who can choose one of my books as a prize. Maybe if you win, you will want to read about sisters. All my Rosey Corner books highlight the sisters relationships.
The Refuge, my most recent Shaker book, has a story about sisters of the heart. Tansy in Along a Storied Trail was a sister. Jocie in the Heart of Hollyhill books was a sister.
To enter, just make a comment on this post or one of the posts in the next couple of weeks. I’ll pick the winners by a random drawing. The deadline to enter is midnight EST December 30th. Each time you comment on a new post before that deadline, you get another entry. No purchase or any kind of sign up is required. Just a comment on a blog post. Tonight you can just answer my question about sisters or sister friends.
What’s the best thing about having a sister or a friend who is like a sister?
Comments 42
I loved your article about sisters, and I also enjoyed reading what some of your other readers had to say about sisters in their comments above.
God blessed me with one sister, who is just a year older than I am. When we were growing up, we had some of the usual times of teasing and annoyances, but most of the time I was just thankful to have my “older and wiser” sister to be a friend, confidante, and mentor. In our adult years, we have grown even closer, even though she lives in California and I live in Kentucky.
God also has blessed me with a very special “sister in Christ”, whom I met almost 50 years ago. Even though we are not biological sisters, she is my special “sister by heart”. We, too, live miles apart geographically, but we still are joined by our thoughts, prayers, and conversations via phone and email.
Author
I’m so glad you enjoyed my post about sisters, Roberta. And it sounds as though you are doubly blessed with your birth sister and that sister in Christ. We can be thankful for all the ways to keep in touch even though a country apart.
Thanks for sharing about your sisters. Comments like yours and the others is what makes having a blog fun.
The love of Sisters is the most special love, friends for life. I am blessed with 3 sisters, There is so many special memories we have shared through the years. I cant express the love we have shared. So thankful for your books on sisters. Continue the stories that you write so well!
Author
Sisters do share so much, Edith. They can understand how you feel about things better than most anyone. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my stories that have highlighted sisters. Maybe I’ll think up a new idea with sisters in the forefront. I guess When the Meadow Blooms is a sister book too with Calla and Sienna.
I’m so glad you included “…a friend who is like a sister.” because I’ve always felt bad that I have no sisters. Only a bunch of brothers and even though a couple have been close, it’s just not the same. I do have a best girlfriend, though. We’ve been there for each other since first grade, about 68 years. Last Christmas, she gave me a plaque that said.. “friends are the sisters we get to choose.” She gave me a little book years ago called A true friend is the best possession.” I guess the best thing is having someone who gets you, knows all your faults and loves you anyway.
Author
You two have loved through the years, Lee. How great that you’ve been able to keep the “sister” relationship going for all these years. Sometimes we are blessed to be able to keep our first made friends forever. Thanks for sharing about your friend sister.
I have 3 sisters and love each one of them dearly. Two of them are older than me and one is 9 years younger. I also have 2 brothers, but one of them passed away.
I miss being around my sisters. My sisters and the one surviving brother live in another state. Family is very important to me.
Author
Family is very important to me too, Linda, and I feel blessed that my sisters are close by. Of course two of my kids moved to other states. So, I do have to miss being near them. I hope you and your sisters are able to plan times to be together during the year. The love does reach across the miles.
someone who is supportive
Author
That is definitely a good description of a sister, bn100.
I have three brothers and no sisters. I have always wondered what it would be like to have a sister. I do have a best friend who is like a sister. I can tell her anything and vice versa. I think God put us together to make up for our sisterless lives. I’m thankful He did.
Author
Sounds as though you do have a heart sister, Linda, which is definitely a blessing. I’m on the other side of that equation with no brothers. So, I have to wonder how it might be to have brothers. I do have brothers-in-law that are dear to me. One I’ve known since he was 13, but probably a brother by birth would be different. Maybe not as good. 🙂 I’ve heard brothers can love teasing little sisters.
I have one sister who is 6 years older than me, and I have a friend my age who is like a sister. I can talk to them about pretty much anything and everything, and I never feel judged by them.
Author
I like the way you put that, Elizabeth, about never feeling judged by them. In other words, they accept you as you are. And they do know you well. I feel that with my sisters too. It’s sweet that you had a sister friend too. Those are an even more special gift.
My sister and I are almost five years apart. Growing up she was the pain who always wanted to do what I was doing and going where I went…she even went on my first date to the drive-in. There we were the three of us…my mother insisted if I went I take her with me.
We have lived several hours apart for the majority of my adult life. In the later years of my mother’s life, she became paranoid and accused my sister and I of talking about her so we rarely just called each other because it be misinterpreted by my mom.
Since Mom has passed away, we have become very close and she now lives in the same town as me…we lived less than 20 minutes apart and it is a blessing to have her in my life, sharing my life and together reliving memories. I love her with all my heart!
Thank you Ann for your wonderful books where I can share in the lives of your characters. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
Author
Thank you for the holiday wishes, Pamela, and for sharing about your sister. Those little sisters can be pesky when they are kids. I’m sure my oldest sister would be right there with you agreeing with that. 🙂
I’m sorry about your mom. My mother had some of those same problems with her dementia. So sad. But I’m glad you and your sister live so close to one another now and can really enjoy that sister relationship. As I have probably already said a hundred times, sisters make the best friends.
My sister is 16 years younger than me but the bond between us is still strong. She lives in England so I don’t get to see her often but our love will always be there for each other.
Author
An ocean separate you two, Joanne, but isn’t it wonderful that computers can make staying in touch so much easier than in the past? Sister love is a blessing and a gift.
I don’t have any sisters, but I have a close sister-in-law. She is always ready to help you out with something if you need it, and is very supportive.
Author
I have some great sisters-in-law too, Connie. It is so good when that special bond forms between two in the same family. We are both blessed.
I am the baby sister. I have two older sisters. They are the most wonderful sisters in the world. Carol and Glenda make my life complete. I love them so much. From the lessons they share to the giggles we share, we definitely have a special bond.
Author
I’m the baby sister in my family too with t hose two older sisters, Melissa. Also, the same as you, my sisters are my best friends and I know I could count on them if I ever needed anything the same as they could count on me. That, in and of itself, is a blessing. May you continue to have giggles and laughs with your sisters.
I have two older sisters although one is deceased now. Since they were closer in age and I seven and five years younger, I was not as close to them growing up. Then as adults we lived far from one another–one in Michigan, one in Georgia, and me in Texas. However, there has always been a bond between us. The middle one of us is still alive, and so we try to get together in person once or twice a year. However, we email and/or talk on the phone multiple times each week. Sometimes we plan a Road Scholar or Viking cruise trip together; sometimes we go visit other relatives at the same time so that we can also see each other. Fortunately our spouses enjoy each other too, so we have a good time as well as continue that family bond.
Author
Sometimes when distance or perhaps years separate siblings in a family, Suzanne, it takes a little more effort to keep the family relationships strong. It sounds as though you and your sister are making that effort. It’s so good to have a loving sister.
I love the Marion C. Garretty quote, “A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.”
Author
I like that thought too, Diana.
Blessed are women
Whose hearts and souls are
Joined together by laughter and tears
For they shall be known as sisters!
I am so thankful for my sister and all those dear ladies who have become my sisters !
Author
Love the poem, Bonnie. Is that original with you? I too am thankful for my sisters and for my sisters in law who are dear to me too. You need sisters wherever you gather them. That had to be one of the good things about the Shaker villages – the chance to have many sisters.
I love having sisters. I just wish they lived closer as one is in WI and one in TN. We FaceTime weekly but it’s just not the same as doing things together. I miss them.
Author
But aren’t you grateful for the internet that does let you keep in contact face to face, Lucy? And yes, it would be better if you could actually be in the same rooms enjoying each other’s company. I’m fortunate that my sisters like right here in the same area I do. Now I do have a couple of kids in other states and I miss them not being close enough to drop in on weekends.
I don’t have any sisters but I would imagine just always having someone there for you.
Author
A sister is that someone who has always known you, Dana, and has the same growing up memories. So you imagine right. But good friends can be like sisters sometimes too.
My sister was 15 years older than me so we didn’t play together but as adults we loved each other and could visit and laugh. We were different people for sure. She always had such style and dressed so pretty. She tried to help me with that and I think of her every time I put on a piece of jewelry she gave me especially my Christmas pins. She gave me a pillow I still have that says “I smile because you’re my sister, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it”. Miss her but thankful I will see her again. Love you Pat
Author
I’ve seen things with that saying on it, Cammy, and always think it’s probably one I could give my oldest sister. So sorry you had to give her up down here on earth, but it is good to have the hope of seeing her again.
Enjoy wearing those Christmas pins that make you remember good times together with her.
I grew up with just brothers until I was nearly 13 years old. Then I finally got a sister. But while I loved her dearly, she was more of a pest those first few years. A teen and a toddler sharing a room is not always pleasant. She was always there, like a little annoying shadow, full of questions and demands, and getting into my stuff. When she broke my favorite Donny Osmond record, I seriously wanted to sell her! But then we both grew up and now we’re very close. We share laughs about her shenanigans and I came to realize just how important I was to her growing up. A few years ago, she even found a replacement record at a flea market for the one she broke so many years ago. It was a gag gift for my birthday, but since I still listen to my vinyl collection, that meant a lot to me. I smile every time I choose a record to play, and I’m glad I didn’t sell her after all. 🙂
She lives in Oklahoma and I’m here in Kentucky, but we talk every few days, and make a point of visiting a couple of times a year. Last year we decided to start a “mini me” tradition…we both have granddaughters that are little replicas of us, so we take a girls only mini vacation with them. It’s a great way to pass along those stories.
Sisters are important, even when there’s lots of years between. Those years don’t seem to matter at all as we get older.
Author
I didn’t have the blessing of having brothers, Lavon. As the youngest girl, I was the one they hoped would be a boy. But that didn’t happen and so it was just us three sisters.
I liked your story about your little sister. I’m guessing she thought your were the greatest ever when she was little and maybe still does. I love your mini me vacations. What a special time with your granddaughters and something that when they get older they will remember with such fondness.
So many good things about sisters,My sister that is just above me in age( 15 months older) knows me in and out.We spend lots of time together playing cards and board games with our husbands and talking on the phone multiple times a day. My oldest sister is there for me when things go wrong, like a second Mama she’s there with a compassionate heart and would do anything to help me. We are also in Homemakers together so that’s fun!
My youngest sister is always there for me too and I am for her. but she came along when I was grown so we don’t have the memories of growing up together, but I love her just as much.
Sisters are so very special.Im thankful for mine.
Author
Sounds as if you are blessed with some great sisters, Lisa. You have one close to the same age as you the same as I do. That made for some great times when we were kids. My older sister thought I was mostly a pest when I was a kid, and I probably was. 🙂 But we have fun when we get together these days. We just did that today to celebrate my middle sister’s birthday.
I too am very thankful for my sisters.
The best thing about having sisters is always having someone to talk to, laugh with, or, in some cases, scream at. Sisters have a bond that even the closest of friends can’t replicate, you can never be separated from your sisters.
Author
You are so right, Raegan. I have a granddaughter named Raegan and she would be happy to see your name spelled the say it’s supposed to be. People are always misspelling her name and she does not like that. LOL.
She has some sisters to laugh with and sometimes fuss with too. But sisters are the best.