Giggles, Secrets, Laughter, Tears

Today, my heart and mind are full of my sisters. They are quite a bit older than I, which sometimes makes me sad. V is 18 years older and B is 16 years older. We don't often get together because we don't live close to each other, however when we do ... there are no words to explain how much I enjoy them. Since I am so much younger, and I moved away from home when I was 19, we didn't have a real, honest to goodness real relationship until after I had children of my own. As a matter of fact, not really until the year our Grandfather passed away and we flew to Idaho together for the funeral. That really marks the time in my life that I became a Sista! We've always been sisters and we've always loved each other, but that year, I became a Sista!!! A few years ago, I had glass heart ornaments made with the only way I know how to describe our times together: Giggles, Secrets, Laughter, Tears. V, B, and H. We all loved that saying so much, that I wanted something we could have out year round, so I made stepping stones for us 2 years later. 

Right after Thanksgiving this past year, our Mama passed away. I think in a way, I long for my sisters even more. My emotions are still raw. I'm the furthest away of the 3 of us and still have a kid in school, so I can't just pick up and drive up a couple hours for a surprise visit. 

After our Mama died this year, V and I did a lot of texting back and forth for awhile. We even spoke on the phone when our voices allowed through the tears. We go through spells where we stay in pretty close touch with each other and then other times when we both get busy with our days, but she is never far from my thoughts and always in my heart. All I have to do is look around my home and see some beautiful cross stitches she has made for me throughout the years! All her sweet notes she has sent to me over the years are in my craft room. I reread them from time to time! We are very similar in many ways. I can count on her any time I need prayers. Whether it is for me, my family, a friend, someone we've never met, she's on it! I hope one day I can tell her how grateful I am and how blessed I am to have her as MY sister!

As for B and I. We, too, are very similar in many ways. Different than me and V, though, which is all good. Not every relationship is going to be the same! B and I try to talk on Friday nights after she's gotten off work. When we were both working, it was our way of letting off steam from the week and catching up. Sometimes, I used her as a sounding board because I would be so frustrated with a situation. Now, we continue our almost weekly Friday night chats. I tell her about the crafts I'm making to start up my business and she continues to tell me about her work week. The things we talk about may have changed, but nothing else. One the few off Fridays we have not chatted, I sort of felt lost, longing to have a shared laugh, secret, giggle or tear. I hope one day I can tell her how grateful I am and how blessed I am to have her as MY sister! 

I am thinking ahead to Christmas and putting in some thought to what I will do for our Sista gifts. Trying to come up with something meaningful and from the heart that we can all appreciate at the different stages of our lives is proving to be a little more difficult than I imagined! Hopefully, I will get to have a Sista weekend with them in just a few shorts weeks in September and maybe it will hit me then...