Sisters

When Kristen was born one of the things I was happiest about was that our girls were sisters. If you don't have a sister its hard to explain and if you do you know exactly what I mean. I am lucky enough to have a sister and brother but the relationships are different. Your sister is there to tell you that your butt looks big in those pants, or that you need to wear eyeliner or you should think about getting your eyebrows waxed. You call her to "practice" telling your parents that you're getting divorced and you want to move home. She calls you when her heart is broken and she needs a shoulder. Its not that your brother isn't empathetic, its just different. Your brother - he's the one who replaces your wiper blades without you even asking him to or empties the mouse trap from the trunk of your car - he doesn't even know what waxing your eyebrows entails. Sisters tend to be more nurturing - preparation for motherhood maybe?

I already see this relationship growing with Kristen and Brooke. From the day Kristen arrived Brooke has been interested in her and I can count on one hand the times she has been annoyed by her presence. She constantly remarks on how beautiful, cute, tiny, etc she is. When Kristen cries and I don't get to her fast enough Brooke points out the obvious "She wants you Mommy, she wants you, pick her up" More recently she has started trying to calm her on her own. She'll go to the swing, or whatever Kristen is in at the time and kneel to look into her face and tell her "its OK Kristen, we're here....don't cry, its OK"

Don't get me wrong, there are times when Brooke does get impatient with her or thinks that she is too loud, but the majority of the time she wants to share things with her sister.

I'm a realist and I have a sister so I know that there will be ups and downs, times when they agree and times when they don't, times when they are so busy with their own lives that it seems like they don't need each other and there will be times when it seems that they don't necessarily like each other very much. I do know that even during those times when they seem to be going in different directions that their love for each other never wanes and the distance or the differences are all temporary.

I can tell you from experience, there is nothing like having a sister.