Sisters

Being the youngest of five sisters (4 biological and one honorary adopted) affords me certain privileges, I get away with alot! Like dancing through a parking lot, singing in a store, stealing french fries or tater tots off a plate, or asking personal "aging" questions.

I love my sisters. As I sit here listening to them laugh and joke around, often being entirely inappropriate, I am comforted and completely at ease with who we are together.  Its so great to see and know that we can be ourselves, selves that no one else really sees but our hubbies.

I also learn a lot of things from them. Things like, having a snorting contest will mean you will need a cough drop, Karen Carpenter may be very outdated but her music can still make us sing along, "It Is Well" brings a tear to our eyes as we belt it out in the car, coloring is still cool and still fun, especially when done with the ones you learned to color with. I've also learned a few life lessons. Like laughter truly IS good medicine, and tears can unite hearts. I learn that each one has her own set of wisdoms and own set of Achilles heels, and being married for a long long long time can still be passionate, fun, intimate, tender, and yes, hard. ( several of them are approaching the 50 year mark.)

Yeah, I listen to these voices that have been with me my whole life and I feel a new sense of appreciation, of hope, of understanding. I listen and feel joy at their senses of humor, their laughter making me giggle with them. I listen and hear a lifetime of things and it makes me glad I am their sister. I listen and I hear moms voice and feel comfort and grief at the same time. I hear moms "isms" and she lives on. They share so many memories that I don't have, being the youngest be ALOT, but we share so many of the same things ffom being raised by the same woman. I find myself missing her less and loving her more.

To me, they will always be timeless. Just my big sisters.  Fiercly protective, incredibly funny, caring, accepting and even sometimes really annoying...(hey, I'm the baby, I dont annoy anybody). They are my best girl friends, confidants, ones who know me best and longest and love me anyway.

I cant really say what they have learned from me but I hope its been good!

I love you Carol, Teri, Penny, Connie, and Judy!!!!