I missed the chance to post this sister story on National Sister’s Day. So I thought I would do it today.
Sister’s Day is a noted special day that happens on the first Sunday of August to celebrate the deep love we have for our sisters. Apparently, sisters (and brothers!) argue and fight from time to time, but still–having sisters is special and our relationships with them are wonderful and unique. Sisters are the very, very best!
This story, as told to me about a sister, resonated sister-love.
Yesterday, with the sound of love in her voice told me she didn’t ‘dislike’ her that much. Was she frustrated with her? Yes. Was she angry with her? Yes. Was she downright pissed at her? Absolutely! But that deep seeded love between sisters was there too. As she told me the story about how bitchy she could be, and that they never got along all that well until recently when they found themselves living 1000 miles apart, I could hear the love and admiration she had for her sister in the horrid story she was telling me.
Laura was proud of her sister Wendy. It came through in many ways. Like the way she described her sister’s career, “the only one educated enough for the few coveted positions at that level in the department.” It was spoken with such pride! Laura went on to tell me about Wendy finding her husband of 30 years in bed with a colleague nearly half her age. “Yes,” she said, “a colleague who might have been born on their wedding day!” I felt the pain she was experiencing even in her retelling me the story. I understood her love and concern as she told me of Wendy’s “extreme shock,” “sickening disappointment,” and “anger,” and I also understood when she went back to talking about her frustrations with Wendy. “She just can’t seem to be nice to anyone at all now.” Laura is so frustrated and pissed off with Wendy’s bitchiness toward everyone. She wants to offer all the sister-love inside of her but, “she is just like she used to be when we were kids–the bitchy older sister”. Now that they are both accomplished women it’s all water under the bridge and what remains is sister-love. Love for the sister she loves deeply and of whom Laura is profoundly proud of. My hope for Laura is that she can ignore the bitchy and hang on to sister-love.
I am blessed with my sisters. Many women I know have complicated, albeit loving relationships with their sisters. I think because of the familial closeness between sisters, and the knowing between sisters, it is easier for sisters to piss us off more than anyone else can. Yet, most of us are able to find our way back to sister-love.
Please share if you know that sister-love too!
