May is a big month for me. This will show in my posts or lack thereof...
In addition to Mother's Day and Memorial Day, May is a month of family birthdays.
(And I'm starting to have quite a few friends with birthdays in May as well.) So, I hope you will indulge a few more tribute entries.
Friday was my sister's birthday. My sister, Elizabeth, is my only sibling and it's a miracle we didn't seriously maim each other when we were younger. (I would say "it's a miracle we didn't kill each other when we were younger", but I've come to learn that our sibling rivalry pales in comparison to others.)
Liz and I were pretty adept at bringing out each other's dark side back then. My dark side was sardonic and dismissive. Liz could be obstinate and explosive. She threw the most physical punches, but my verbal darts could be even more painful. As the older sister, I tended to ignore her a lot which created a lot of resentment on her part. I believed, on the whole, life would be a lot easier without an aggravating little sister.
Thank goodness the universe doesn't give in to such naive little desires.
Who could guess that the one person who causes the most vexation in one chapter of your life would turn out to be the most supportive in the next?
At some point in our 20's, I think we both realized the impact of having an estranged sibling. It just feels wrong on a molecular level. Something is not quite right with the universe when your sister isn't talking to you. Yes, life goes on and, yes, it's a pretty good life, but something is missing!
So, we started doing what it takes to forgive those childhood injustices. Sometimes that forgiveness takes a lot of work. But, Liz and I are no strangers to hard work.
I am so proud of my sister for who she is today. She is a direct, yet compassionate communicator. She is incredibly generous. She supports me in all the paths I choose to take, but she's also the first to hold me to account for my actions. There is the most wonderful connection between us that I guess you only ever have with a sibling.
I love you, Liz. Happy Birthday....
2 comments:
Happy birthday, Liz! When are we finally gonna meet?!
I have to tell you guys that after Sarah published this picture of us I got inspired and came down to MS to raid the family photo archive. I will be sending Sarah these in the hopes that she will continue to post appropriate ones on worthy occasions! I can only reinforce Sarah's sentiments in saying that a sibling connection is profound on a "molecular level (good term sis)" in a way no other relationship in my life is. And although it took Sarah and I many years to get to where we are today, I could not imagine having it any other way. I too am touched, awed, and inspired when I think of how differently our relationship could have turned out if we weren't SUCH AMAZING POEPLE! Sheesh! I love this family...and Julie I promise we will meet very very soon. I can’t wait!
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