Sisters – an unbreakable tie

All sewn up.

 

I am the oldest of three sisters, followed by that lone brother.

Growing up I was more the babysitter than a sibling, but oh the blessing of having sisters (and a brother who brought into the family another lovely sister!).

 

We lost my little sister ten years ago – colon cancer, get your checks – and whilst packing up her belongings I took her placemats as the colors and pattern pleased me. They have been used occasionally during the fall, but not as often as I could have. They ended up in a cupboard with the exception of one used as a doily on side tables acquired a few years ago.

 

My other sister, who would have loved to have been an interior decorator, often (o.k. always) has suggestions to make on my interior decorations. We are chalk and cheese, but this time she hit the jackpot. We were discussing, rearranging, rediscussing and re-re-arranging cushions on my lovely sofa when she saw the one placemat. Pinned it into place over one of the pillows and indeed it did look good.

 

She took home four of the others and the day before Thanksgiving I received cushion covers made from these placemats in the mail.

Gorgeous.

 

I now live with a permanent reminder of both my sisters – in my living room where I see them multiple times a day. Truly one of the blessings in my life.

 

The two more colorful ones on the ends

 

Ode to a sister

Where you are

Do the leaves flutter?

Does the brook babble?

Does the wind flirt with your hair?

Where you are

Do the mountains rise high?

The lakes shine in the sun?

The ocean roll onto its shore?

Where you are

Do the seasons change?

Do storms arise or

Dessert winds blow?

Where you are

Do children play in laughter?

Do adults go about their tasks?

Do teenagers still have moods?

Where you are

Do cats and dogs still fight?

Do polar bears still fish?

Do birds still migrate?

Where you are

Are people gentler?

Are anger, jealousy and hate

A thing of the past?

Does love prevail?

Where you are

Is there a past?

Is there a future?

Where you are

Do you remember me?

I held her in my arms, I still hold her in my heart

 Patricia Jeanne Aitken

Sept.27, 1952 - Sept.19, 2012

Getting through the day… or

Sometimes it hits you harder.

I am often ever so grateful that I am no longer a teenager or young adult especially when it comes to the emotions: gone, in theory, those ups and downs caused by hormonal swings.

Then all of a sudden and with no warning, something hits you and even as a “senior” or whatever is currently politically correct (a friend and I decided that in French we were in the “bel âge” as opposed to old, senior citizen, etc.) one falls back into that period of time when one was too sensitive, too quick to take umbrage, too everything, leading even to tears.

These past few days have been emotionally stressful – the end of the visiting nephews and good friends, the illness and treatment of a good friend, the fun (yes even fun can be a great stressor – on some scales a wedding ranks right up there with a funeral), but it wasn’t until yesterday that I realized part of the reason: today marks the third anniversary of my little sister’s death and for whatever reason or combination of circumstances it has hit me extremely hard, leading me to plunge back into that maelstrom of over-the-top feelings.

For someone who is rarely up-up and perhaps once in a decade down-down, it has come as a shock to lose, even temporarily, my usual even temperedness and I’m hoping that by laying low this too shall pass and that I will quickly return to my sunny self (even the sun has gone to hide behind the clouds, which really isn’t fair as I had intended taking a hike up the mountain this last weekend of cable cars.

As I posted to Facebook: I was, and still am, her big sister and today hurts.

left to right: Karyn, Julia with Pat on her lap - 1953

Sisters or…

I wouldn’t exactly call them “dumb” animals.

If one is lucky – and I am more than blessed – one has a sister with whom to share life, all those memories going back to well-I-can’t-remember or do-you-remember times.

I was even luckier as I got two blood sisters and several more that although we may not be directly linked by blood, surely we were at some point in the past – how else to explain our connection?

Humans are simply animals (I know, I know, we would prefer to think that we are some higher level of animal, but as far as I can see we are perhaps being egotistical to think so) and I would swear that most animals of the supposedly lower order have memories, have emotions and are even capable of planning.

How else can I explain the fact that although most of the time my two cats live separate lives – each with her preference for sleeping place, staring-out-the-window space and it’s my side of the bowl – occasionally they communicate: mainly by cleaning each other, but around 19:00 every evening they both go crazy dashing after imaginary insects, their own tails, each other and anything else that moves. What is the reason? Where is the link? I haven’t a clue.

That’s interesting enough, but imagine my surprise the other day when I came into the office where I have two identical baskets, one for each, to find them entwined in one. Was one or the other sad? Lonely?  If only I could read their minds I would dearly love to know why they felt that they needed to be together.

I only know that sisters often do.

keeping one eye on the world - don't bother my sister!

togetherness

I'll watch - you sleep.

Cows and sisters