Sisters

There is a story many of you are familiar with that I've been following for some time now (thanks to Liz). This article in the Arizona Republic paints it in the most beautiful way, from a sister's eyes.
I can relate to this story in only a very small way. Almost 3 years ago, my own sister was taken to the same hospital, the trauma unit, by helicopter. She had been in a severe wakeboarding accident.

Brooke spent just over a week in the hospital (and many months of recovery at my parent's house) with tubes coming from every direction, draining blood from her lungs, and helping her breathe. Because Brooke was in the women's wing, her husband wasn't permitted to stay with her after hours. And, after seeing that Brooke was stable, my mom headed back to Safford for awhile to take care of her 2 1/2 year old and a six week old baby before returning back to tend to Brooke. And so I had the privilege for a brief couple of days of staying by Brooke's side and performing acts of service for her that only a sister (and a mom) would and could do. If felt good to feel like I could repay her for the years of bossing, ordering and taking advantage of the "naive-little-sister" stage. And although Brooke has little to no memory of our late nights together, I will never forget the deep, sweet bond that brought us even closer. And so, I add my testimony that there isn't anyplace more comforting than in the arms of your sister. She is just a different version of yourself.

As I write this, I wonder, what of my daughter who doesn't have a sister? Will she fill a sort of void her whole life, a longing for a sister? And then I think about what a sister is. A sister is a place of comfort, a connection with someone so deep it combines both heart and soul, someone who has played a role in shaping the person you've become, a person who understands your unspoken word. A sister is "a piece of childhood that can never be lost" (Marion C. Garretty), it's unconditional love. Maya Angelou said, "I don't believe an accident of birth makes people sisters or brothers. It makes them siblings, gives them mutuality of parentage. Sisterhood and brotherhood is a condition people have to work at." And so, I know my daughter will have a sister, maybe many. She may not have one that share the same parents as her, but she will find a sister in a good friend or cousin and hopefully even myself! I believe a woman simply cannot live without a "sister".