"Bless you, my darling, and remember you are always in the heart - oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape - of your sister." ~Katherine Mansfield
It seems fitting that I get to see my sisters this weekend, however, it may just be one if the other sees the arrival of a new grandbaby. A year ago they were the ones coming to see me.....to feed me, to clean for me, to cheer me, to knit for me, to be sisters. I couldn't help but think of them when I was putting my winter decorations away and pulling out the birds, nests and eggs that I decorate with as spring approaches. My sisters did that for me last year as I was dealing with my first round of chemo and another painful procedure. You can ask your sisters to do things that your mom would do for you. You can let your sisters clean your bathroom, wash your floors, change your sheets and leave three batches of bars in your freezer. They are like having a mom when you no longer have one. Even though they are the two busiest people I know and they could have been using the precious time at their own homes, it was such a joy and relief to have them here. I would do it for them, I would do anything for them if it was needed. Taking them for granted is something I have to stop doing...I do not see them enough, I do not call them enough, and I definitely don't let them know I love them enough.
My sisters, including one that lives far away on the east coast, cheered me up and held me up all through my difficult days. Cards, messages, calls, and flowers arrived. I got everything from bright pink knit slippers in the beginning to pink wine to celebrate when "the end" arrived. There was a new little white stuffed Scotty dog. It was an adult version of a larger one I still have that saw me through a tough childhood hospitalization for spinal meningitis. These are the things that a sister remembers and knows will help you again and make you smile. One sister knit a hat for when I lost my hair and another sent me a great brimmed hat for the sun. I know it wasn't 'the things' that mattered but the love I felt when I received them. I felt so much love and I knew they in turn felt my pain. I didn't want them to feel it but I know that is how a sister is. We sometimes forget in good times to stay connected but we certainly know how to pull together in the tough ones. The anticipation of seeing a sister is not unlike the joy of anticipating Spring. It brings the same kind of warmth of light and life to my heart.
"Sisters are different flowers from the same garden." ~author unknown
This Spring, during tulip time, take a stroll through the gardens at Cantigny Park.....take your sisters.
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