Sisters

It's National Sisters Week - today is Sisters Day - who knew?

I usually ignore these so-called "special" celebrations. In the back of my mind I picture groups of greeting card company execs wringing their greedy little hands in ecstasy over the godsend. Okay, so I'm a little jaded...

Still and all, it does make think of my own sisters. I have two - nine and thirteen years older. Had we been closer in age, would we have fought over clothes and boyfriends? Or would we have been tight - a thick-as-thieves tour de force? That one I'll never know.

As a kid, they called me "little Patty". More than likely I represented little more than a pain in the butt to them. My parents made them take care of me, babysit me, watch what they said around me. I remember one of them even having to resort to bribery to keep me upstairs while she and her boyfriend had privacy downstairs. It worked - I still remember that fluffy white stuffed cat. Clever.

As a teenager, it was a different story. They, and my sisters-in-law too, were my salvation. I got to hang out with them at their houses, often babysitting for them. I learned a lot - about relationships, raising kids, being a woman. They were my role models and confidantes, though I wonder if they knew it. They gave me the freedom to grow, away from the naturally protective eyes of my parents. What a blessing.

And now? They're definitely my friends. With the age differences melted away, we see each other for who we really are. Though very different, we "get" each other. No, it's more than that. We respect each other's strengths. Accept each other. Simply love each other. It's strange - we've never had a real fight over all these years. Even when we disagree, we find a way to let each other know without being hurtful. No need to be. We hear each other.

So today, in honor of my sisters and sisters-in-laws, I raise my glass. Cheers, girls. You done good.

Do you have sisters? Tell us about them and your relationship. And if not biological, who are your sisters in spirit?