Celebrating National Siblings Day!

This piece was written in 20ll. It still holds true today….

It’s National “I’m Glad I Have a Sister” Month

Okay, well, there really isn’t a month like this yet, but there needs to be! About twenty minutes ago I hung up the phone with my sister after talking to her for, oh, I don’t know, about twenty minutes. We can talk about anything and nothing. We can talk every day for a week straight and then not talk for a few days because we get so incredibly busy and then talk again for a week straight.

My sister Staci is three years and nine months younger than me. Four years really in things that mattered when she was 8 and I was 12. Three years in school. And now, well, we are of the same generation, so I really don’t think about the difference in our ages, except when it is so obvious that I am older.

Often, much to her delight I tell people I am the younger sister. At first she was indignant; now she just laughs. My sister is the one person in this entire world that simply knows exactly who and what I am and doesn’t care. She knows that I love (and can watch) Sex and the City reruns for months on end. She knows that if we go out to lunch I am either completely on my healthy food life style (I hate the word diet) or we will pig-out with chocolate. She knows all my secrets (yes, I did indeed love John Travolta as Vinny Barbarino in Welcome Back Kotter).

My sister pretty much knows all about my life and I about hers, yet we never, ever divulge any secrets or facts to anyone else. She knows my friends and I know hers. We don’t really share any, but her friends are friendly towards me and mine are towards her. She handles all the hard stuff with our mother and I handled all the yukky stuff with our father. The system works for us.

My sister is the one that I run everything by because she is THE nicest person in the entire world. I have said this before and I continue to say it. She really is. She is just really nice. People like her. Where I am opinionated, my sister is able to stay neutral. Where I might fly off the handle (who, me?), my sister is able to stay calm. Where I may hold a grudge, my sister encourages me to let it go. Where I want to know everything, go everywhere and meet everyone, my sister is content to tag along for the fun. And she does.

I have the MOST fun with my sister. I have a great time with my girlfriends, I really do, however, my sister and I have a short-hand. I don’t have to completely explain myself to my sister ever. And where I don’t have to explain myself to my friends, for some reason, sisters sort of just allow this.

Last summer, my mom took my sister and me to New York City for an entire week of Broadway Shows, yummy food and enough walking to last a lifetime. I was in charge of finding the fun, my sister was in charge of getting us there (she is really good with a map) and my mom was in charge of paying for everything. All in all, a great deal for all three of us. For some reason our positive attributes just sort of filled themselves in. My mom made sure we got to the shows on time, I made sure we didn’t miss anything, and Staci, well, she directed us north or south.

We had the greatest week. We loved the shows and meeting the actors and dancers afterwards (my idea). We loved walking through the different neighborhoods and seriously eating whenever and whatever we wanted. Though I directed us each day, the one thing my sister thought would be really fun, (but I just could NOT see myself getting on a tour bus) was to take the Sex and the City Tour. It ended up being three of the most hilarious hours of our life.

Often, my sister and I try to catch up with a movie and lunch. Over the years, our activities have changed as we grew older. We shopped for many years when we had disposable income. Now, we see movies. We also get our kids together whenever practical. Three of them are the same age, and the youngest (Staci’s God-daughter) goes along with the big kids. Our kids have a good time together. Her kids love the freedom of my house (“the kids? They’re outside playing.”) and my kids love the anything goes of her house (“the kids? They’re watching TV. /playing a video game/wii”) Yet it works. Really works. It seems great that all four of these kids can feel comfortable in either house with any set of parents and each other.

I know I don’t tell her often enough how much I truly appreciate her. I love my girlfriends and feel incredibly fortunate to have them. But, I would be lost without this sister of mine. How blessed am I to have had the opportunity to be HER sister. Staci, Happy National “I’m Glad I Have a Sister” month!!! WE’RE gonna make it after all!!!