For My Sisters, My Best Friends Forever

Once upon a time...

There were four little girls. These little girls were all really close in age. They grew up in a small town doing small town things. Everyone in town knew who the girls were, but few could keep them straight. Who was who? This was because the girls looked so much alike--because they were sisters.

While the girls were young, they did not always appear to be friends. There were fist fights, yelling, name calling, & tears, boy were there tears. Their house was overflowing with drama & fangs (their dad said that girls grew fangs at age 12--he was right). They fought over clothes, tore skirts off one another in church, tattled on each other, and tortured one another just for the fun of it. If one even wore a scrunchie in her hair that belonged to another sister a fight would ensue (or the scrunchie would be ripped from the thieving sister's hair). They threw things at each other & even broke the possessions of another sister when they felt revenge was warranted.

The older sisters told tall tales about invisible elevators & trap doors that led to other secret rooms. They shared these outlandish stories with the younger sisters to make them feel left out because the younger ones, of course, couldn't see or go into the secret rooms. The youngest sister was fed the most pitiful stories of all. She was told that all her teeth were going to fall out "like grandpa's" and that she was going to die because she got (food) dye on her finger.

Now you may assume that these sisters were only worst enemies. But you'd be very wrong. As small girls, the sisters always had playmates. They made messes together, wore matching clothes, got into trouble together, and shared most everything they had. As they grew, they became a united front. If one sister was heartbroken, the rest of them also felt her pain. When one sister accomplished something great, they all shared her excitement. And if you had the misfortune to cross one sister, you would soon find out what sisterhood meant to these girls. You didn't mess with one unless you wanted to fight them all.

The girls grew up & one by one left home. They were never far from each other & at different times a couple of them would live together sharing more fights & fun times. They enjoyed getting together to laugh & play & talk about everything--together they could solve the problems of the world.

Then one by one they were married & began having children, growing their own little families. Still they continued to talk often, visit whenever possible, & share in the everyday battles & triumphs of each other's lives. And they rejoiced together in the joys of motherhood. They still argued occasionally & gave their opinions too freely because they knew that they would always be forgiven for any offense given.

Many other friends have come & gone, but never have they known friendship like the kind they enjoy as sisters. Now there are still many tears shed--but not from fighting. They are tears cried because of the many miles that separate these sisters. Tears cried because they miss each other more than they could have ever imagined in their little girl hearts & minds. And each and every one of them dreams of the day that they can once again live close together to share in all of the joys and miseries of life because that is what sisters are for.

The End

P.S. These girls were blessed with another sister when their brother got married. She is not a sister-in-law to them, but a real and true sister, and they love their new youngest sister as much as they would had she been born their into their family.