Sibling Relations

A few years ago, I read an article about a rising USC athlete who went home to visit his mom for spring break and was murdered while riding around town with his friends. My heart broke for his mother who only had the one son. In the article, it mentioned that he and his mother spoke eight times a day and said to my mother, "Who talks to someone eight times a day? I get being close, but really." And without missing a beat she said, "You and Mona." Slam! She was right. She was so right.

Pre-me having kids, I talked to Mona easily four to five times a day. We had no new info to share with each other, no family gossip to talk about, we'd just sit on the phone with each other. Sometimes I would listen to TV with her as I rode the bus home in the evenings. We still talked multiple times a day after Jory, but when baby number two came they started to wane. And now we talk once or twice during the work week and then usually once or twice on Saturday and Sunday.

We weren't always close. I remember as a child being terrified of her. Partly it was me and some was maybe that she was a bit of a moody teen. (We're 7 years apart.) And some was my sister is no miss sunshine, you have to get past that tough looking exterior that can scream "Don't touch me. Don't talk to me." It took me a while to get past that. Now I know she tolerates hugs and kisses very well. She's a big mushy teddy bear.

You don't talk on the phone with someone who questions your parenting decisions if you were really hardcore. "Why is Kayla crying?" "Why aren't you picking her up, if she's crying?" "Oh, give her another piece of cake, she's just a baby." "Why is Mijo ironing his own clothes? He's just a baby." "Why aren't you helping Tigger clean out his closet? You know he's not a slave."

I love my sister. I adore her. I admire her. I wish I could be as awesome a mother as she is, but alas I can only be me.

I pray that TTT will be as close as she and I. I love my brother but for every five phone calls I make, I get one back from him and inevitably they come when I'm away from cell phone. He's not so good with the communication thing, but when I need him he's there. I hope the girls can count on Jory, yet he returns their calls in a timely manner and gasp! call them on his own just to say, "Hi!" and "I love you!"

Siblings who can count on each other, bounce ideas off of each other, babysit each other kids, and love each other like crazy. Be supportive of each other and help each other out like Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.