Sisters

"I know that Mothers day is coming, but I can't think of my Mom without thinking of my sister, Tina.

We are 4 1/2 years apart, look like sisters, speak like sisters, walk like sisters, but that about it.

Tina was an Arista student, I sang in front of the class. Tina was top of the line when it came to being good, listening and following a straight path. I took a wavy, uneven come what may approach to everything. My grandparents were always laughing at me.

My mother was a fanatic on being fair. Everything was split even-steven.

So when it came to clothes, my mother made us the same dress to the consternation of my sister. What she had I wanted. What a pain I was.

She called me pipsqueak. I guess I relied on her judgement knowing that if it was good for her , it had to be wonderful for me.

We shared a room upstairs in a small house. My father was always complaining that he could never get in the bathroom. There was one closet, we each had a dresser, but that didn't protect her from me. A sisterly invasion of privacy, but maybe that is the best kind.

I didn't mean it in a bad way. Looking back, I can still feel the fierceness of her love, and saved a note she wrote when she gave me my first pair of stockings.

As the years passed, and it took a long time for me to learn lessons, we have maintained our bonds of friendship, kindness, respect and love.

As we don't live near each other, it is hard to substitute anything for seeing her in front of me. Skype is okay but distorted.

We recently met halfway driving distance and we had a great time. Its amazing how similar traits show up later in life and all those years of pulling and tugging now draw us closer.

She is the sweetest, dearest, most loving, artful, smartest woman -- aside from our mother -- that I have ever met.

As the song goes, 'God help the mister, who comes between me and my sister.'

But the rest we can leave out.

God bless sisters and the parents who gave them to us."

~ Lisa Yonkin