What is a Sister?...

Angie sent me the below message in an email, and its point is to not only cherish your biological sisters, but also those women (God, calling my friends women makes me feel old. Let's call them Señoritas or Señoras instead.) who over time, become like a sister to you. I've been blessed not only to have Angie and Rachel as sisters (who, despite our arguments or differences of opinion, I love more than anything and would do almost anything for), but also to have so many friends who have become like a sister to me over the years. I remember being in the room with my friend Kathy before her daughter (to whom I am Auntie Rocket, by the way) was born, and the nurse asked if we were sisters. My response? "Not by blood." And that's how I feel about all of my friends, to those I work with to those I hang out with when I'm at home. I truly believe that each person you know, each friend you have, fulfills a specific purpose or need in your life. I like to say that my late bro-in-law Mark was my "brother from another mother" and I honestly believe that certain people can become a part of your extended family (like my "astro twin" Kristen).

Wow, I'm not really ever this sappy so I think I'll wrap it up with a shout-out to any señorita or señora who I call a friend: I love you guys and thanks for always being there for me...I appreciate it and you more than I can ever express. And to Angie and Rachel, I love you guys so much and hope that as time goes on we grow even closer together. I'm always here for you and know that you are for me. Sniff, sniff. :)

P.S. "A best friend is a sister destiny forgot to give you."

A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day, drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As they talked about life, about marriage, about the responsibilities of life and the obligations of adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance upon her daughter. "Don't forget your Sisters," she advised, swirling the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. "They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you may have, you are still going to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. "Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women... your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other women relatives too. "You'll need other women. Women always do."

What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman thought. Haven't I just gotten married? Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely my husband and the family we may start will be all I need to make my life worthwhile!' But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact with her Sisters and made more women friends each year. As the years tumbled by, one after another, she gradually came to understand that her Mom really knew what she was talking about. As time and nature work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman, Sisters are the mainstays of her life.

THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes. Life happens. Distance separates. Children grow up. Jobs come and go. Love waxes and wanes. Men don't do what they're supposed to do. Hearts break. Parents die. Colleagues forget favors. Careers end.

BUT.........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach. When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and
walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out. Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Mothers-in-law, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life! The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we would need each other. Every day, we need each other still.