Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Sister Love


I have a little sister, Maria, exactly 4 and 1/2 years younger than me. When my Moma was pregnant I wanted a baby sis SO much, and when she arrived I was overwhelmed with excitement.
Throughout high school we were friendly, but did not really connect - until my senior year, she was in 8th grade. Our town is tiny, literally more cows than people, so the middle and high school is combined into one building, housing less than 500 students. One of the reasons we grew closer that year was because of Sheeba - my run down, front yard special $450 1989 Saab. We shared so many laughs on the way to and from school, and plus how cool is it to be driven rather than taking the bus in 8th grade? I was on the swim team, and Maria decided she wanted to join the team as well. Obviously she needed to take the varsity test before she could officially be a member of the team, which was a pretty grueling test for an 8th grader. She blew the physical tests out of the water, BAM we were going to be on the same team! This was really exciting because we were both sad that we never got to share time on the soccer field together, but now we would in the pool. I was okay at swimming- win some, loose more kind of thing, but I had fun with it. Maria, I have decided is part fish or something, mermaid perhaps? She was and still is an extremely powerful and awe inspiring swimmer. We had so much fun together during swim team, she decided to join me on the track team! Although she quickly realized she hates running, and that was her sole season of track team.
We remained close when I left for college, and I can not believe she is already a grown woman, and a sophomore in college. On my Thanksgiving break home I realized something, and my recent Winter break confirmed my realization. Maria and I connect on a different level than have ever noticed before. This new connection is like all of the sudden there is a little switch has been flipped and we are almost on the same wave length for everything. I do not know if it is something we have grown into, or why all of the sudden we just get and understand each other on a whole new level.
I do know, however, I laughed so much during my time at home because of Maria, and I feel so lucky to have such a close relationship. Laughing is one of the natural holistic medicines you can give your body. During one day sledding we were making each other laugh so hard my stomach literally burned after. We have come up with so many inside jokes and corky words and expressions, which were initially unintentional - purely funny, that we can have an entire conversation and no one else will have a clue what we are talking about. Whether we are quoting Mel Brooks (one of our favorite movies is Dracula Dead and Loving it) or just inserting "egg-salad" for "excellent".
My main point in writing this is just to share how amazing it is to have a loved one so close, and feel so comfortable while having a good chuckle. Maria and I can be serious when we need to be, but we do enjoy a good time as well. I must say, I was unsure what going home was going to be like after having a crazy semester here in Ithaca. I am living solo, which allows me to do my own thing when and how I want. I feel like going home has rejuvenated me, and much of that I think I owe to Maria (and of course the rest of my crazy family) which allowed so much laughter. We all have heard that saying "laughter is the best medicine", and I need to say, I agree. Don't get me wrong, if you are all allergic to a bee's sting, and you get stung, do not stand there and laugh, please use your EpiPen, but for a good mental lift, laughing and being surrounded by loved ones does the trick. It is very Nutritious :)

3 comments:

  1. Whoa, this was a really powerful post and I am glad you could share your experience. Unfortunately, growing up I was an only child and never had the opportunity to have this close relationship with a sibling but, what I did have was a best friend who I considered my brother. It’s amazing what those close to us can do for our mental health. Whether it is spending time together, or even a simple phone call, these interactions can really allow us to relax and refocus. Your post really helped me think about those closest to me and how they positively affect my life. Thank you for that.

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  2. This post really got me thinking about my own sister who is two years older then me. I haven't seen here in almost eight months now and that is very different for us. This past holiday season was the first time that she did not come home for the holidays. She has been traveling with her girlfriend all over the country doing a music tour and loving every second of it. I miss her so much some times but luckily we both have Verizon so that makes life easier. We spent two years living together in our own apartment during college and we had such an amazing time. I can't wait until the spring when she comes home for two months. Thanks for sharing your stories and reminding me of mine.

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  3. My sister and I are also extremely close too! We are 2 years and 1 day apart. Starting college was exciting but also sad because my sister could not come with me. We still talked all the time on the phone and I also went home to visit her when I could. After graduating from college, my sister and I now live 6 doors down from each other. We both live in the same apartment complex. We do our laundry and grocery shopping together. Normally those tasks are pretty boring, but not when we do them together! My sister Jenny and I always find something to talk about and laugh! Reading your blog made me think of things Jenny and I used to do together, like sled ridding when we were little and driving to school in the morning. Great memories!

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