When I was nearly 6, my sister was born. Now, I wasn’t an only child, I had a brother whom I doted on too; but there was something about having a sister – my real-life doll that was quite exciting. I dreamed of her growing up and being the best playmates, sharing stories and maybe a little school gossip. Life was exciting.
As I grew up however, that dream seemed to shatter.
The age difference between us meant we were at very different spectrums of life. When I was 12, she was 6 and when I was 18, she was 12. At those ages, that gap meant everything. At times I’m pretty sure we hated each other. Somehow though, she was still my best confidante. As time passed, the gap shrunk and we soon found friendship in one another; finally, I had the best friend I’d always dreamed of.
Not quite. While we did develop that friendship, moving away from home and living in different countries did a number on us. Though it was there, deep down, we couldn’t find the time or energy to connect and chat and just like that, the distance grew. I soon got married and had a whole new life ahead of me and now, a new best friend – my husband!
Fast forward to the day I held my baby girl in my arms for the first time. I remember distinctly looking at her and being so in awe of her. I was fully and completely taken by her and out of nowhere, like a lightning bolt, I thought to myself “but I can’t wait to give her a sister.” What? Where did that come from? Haven’t I just gone through enough trying to bring one baby into the world? There was this joyous ache in my heart that I couldn’t possibly ignore. At that moment, I knew, on my baby’s first day in this world, that I just had to give her a baby sister someday. It didn’t take much thought to know where that came from.
You see, through all the hot and cold, the distance and the fights, the nail digging and even stealing, there was something special about her. We hated each other immensely, but loved each other doubly. She was still the best (adult female) person in my life. She had grown, matured and even had wisdom that I could learn from and no matter what, I knew I could depend on her.
So, when I looked at my baby girl, I knew that a part of the reason I was sure that I could be a great mother and love her unconditionally was because my baby sister taught me to do so. I knew at that moment that my little girl deserved to know and feel that kind of love for herself. And most importantly, I knew that if I couldn’t be there for her, she’d have her aunt who’d love her, read to her, dance for her and be silly for her, just like I would.
My sister is priceless. My daughter is exceptional. And together, these two girls have changed me forever!
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