As I Begin to Count My Blessings

For there is no friend like a sister

In calm or stormy weather; 

To cheer one on the tedious way, 

To fetch one if one goes astray,

To lift one if one totters down, 

To strengthen whilst one stands

~

Christina Rossetti

Sisters are a special yet strange gift from God, to each other. When they're little they will squeal as they try to tear out each others' hair, wear evil grins when they tell on each other and hide under the bed when they've meddled with the other's craft work. But as they grow, they have deep conversations as they braid each others' hair, say "I've got your back" when the other is in trouble and miss the days when they were so little that they could chase each other around under the bed. The worst of critics, the best of friends. The worst of enemies, but the most protective warrior one can have. They compete, they fight, they yell and swear; but they also love, care and worry like nobody else.

My sister is and will be the only link to my past, the companion in my present and the support in my future. Like I will be hers. We threaten to narrate each others' crazy tales to our yet-to-be-born children. We plan to spoil our to-be nieces and nephews sick; and in our moment of jest we threaten to dress them up like clowns. There are no pretenses between us. We know we'd kick each other if one of us tried to 'put up a show' in front of the other. We communicate without words, and understand the deeper meaning of the words we speak. We hit each other where it hurts; since we know each other so well, we know exactly where to stab. But we are each others' pillars of strength too. We draw inspiration from each other, and draw out our daggers should someone dare point a finger at either of us.

We know each other in and out, flaws et al and love each other nevertheless. It may have been a relation that we did not choose to have but it is certainly one that we cherish the most. My sister may be the reason I would want to be an only child at times, but she'd also be the reason why I wouldn't want to. Since I am the elder one, I like to believe that it is my duty to be more protective of my kid sister. If a storm has to strike her, it better face me first. When she needs a brother to nudge her way around, I will be that brother for her. No matter how old she is, I will still hold her hand when she crosses the road; still snatch the shopping bags from her so that she's not carrying too much load; tell her not to hold my hand when we're walking, because I know she won't listen and will still hold my hand just to annoy me. I would still pretend to be asleep when she talks endlessly after lights out; and she wouldn't stop because she would know I am pretending. She will still throw me out of her room every alternate night, whereas I will shamelessly walk right back in and plop on the bed. We'll still be called all the silly nicknames that we've conferred upon each other. We will always compete with regards to which one of us loves Snow and Leo more, and more so whom do Snow and Leo love more. (It's me, in both cases!) But most importantly, she will always be the doll my parents gifted me.

Many years down the line, when we have grey hair and crow's feet - I hope we don't get those though - our children will have flown out of our nests to build their own, and most of our links with our childhood and youth will have diminished, we would still have each other. We would have known each other all our lives and yet have not grown tired. We will still have a fraction, or maybe more, of our parents' reflections in each other. Nobody will know our struggles, our victories, our joys and our pains the way we would. All our private jokes would still be funny and I'm sure we would still laugh like maniacs scaring the daylights out of our grandchildren, the way we roll off chairs and scare our parents now. All the times we've been mischievous, the late night madness, the way we fought and swore not to talk to each other for as long as we lived, but got back together almost immediately - we will reminisce these things and a lot more. You need to have a sister, and be one to know what the world's most special bond feels like.

I'm sorry this came a little late, but better late than never. And maybe I don't say it often enough, but you know that I love you T2. Happy 20th! :-)

~