We are sisters by birth but sisters in Christ by choice. I am privileged to lay claim to three brothers and three sisters! I am a middle child which bears its own challenges of identity crises. Striving to gain attention in a family large enough to have its own zip code. Not really, but sometimes it seemed a little crowded especially when there were five children in one bedroom. We added an upstairs, which allowed us room to spread out and breathe a little. The girls outnumbered the boys, four to three. The first two sisters were born just two years apart, and my little sister and I just three years apart. We were happily paired up in most of our activities. My oldest sister was the nurturer of the group, and my little sister was the wisenheimer. The middle sister was never wrong, and I was perfect. The only thing wrong with being perfect was no one else knew it. It was lonely in my universe, unattainable by the people with no imagination. My mother was a very busy person, making sure there was a cub scout leader, (her), a brownie leader, (her) a girl scout leader, (her) vacation Bible school teacher, (her) Sunday School teacher, (her) wife, mother, daughter, and sister. Needless to say it was easy for us to fall through the cracks sometimes. That is when my sister, the nurturer, would step in and make sure I was taken care of. She brought things to my mother’s attention, like when it was time to buy foundation garments before I ever knew I needed them. I watched my second sister apply make-up which my older sister shunned. Learning from her what was too much and what was just right. My little sister strove to make my life miserable, teasing me about my boyfriends and giggling with a laugh that could not be mimicked by anyone. At times we got along great then not so great. Then we grew up and got busy having and raising our own families. We grew apart both in logistics and in association. They all worked jobs and taught Sunday School, while raising their children, I was like my mother in that I coached soft ball, was a brownie leader, song leader at church, and a full-time farmer. Busy did not even come close to describe our lives as anyone raising children can testify.
One thing that never changed was sharing our joys and sorrows. We were all raised with an open Bible, and remained strong in our faith. We shared our joys of births, and sorrows of stillbirths. Always finding the love for each other coming to the foreground no matter how much time passed between visits. We would remember what was important, and what foolishness was and never let it come between us.
With great sorrow, comes great comfort and love from the sisterly bond, that brothers just are not part of and do not understand. Family closed ranks and shielded me against the world of hurt when my 24-year-old son died in a car accident. Many years later, we comforted my sister when her husband died.
I was honored this year at Christmas, with a gift from my sister, of a; “Bond Between Sisters” pin. You see, in recent years my little sister died of cancer, then a couple of years later my middle sister passed from the same thing. The nurturer and I are the only sisters left, and her giving me this pin left me speechless. To me it is a symbol of a love and a bond that isn’t contained on this earthly plane, but translates to the world of eternity, because we were raised to be children of Jesus Christ. We learned to love each other no matter what, by trying in our vain attempts to live like Jesus. He is, was, and will always be the author of LOVE. I am always proud to claim my sisters in life and in death, and I wear the pin with that love and pride in mind.
As parents we need to teach our children to keep in mind God chose what family to grace us to be born into. Petty arguments should be settled quickly and not allowed to fester. Family can be one of your most precious possessions, if you treat it with the love and honor it deserves.
We as authors have turned out some literary classics about sisters, like “Little Women”. This story hits upon the bond sisters can have and the struggles it sometimes takes to maintain said relationships. We need more stories about this kind of timeless bonding. Who knows, you may be the one to hit upon the next classic about it.
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Titus 2:3-5
Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
I Timothy 5:2
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
Proverbs 7; 4
Beautiful, Aunt Joyce