That was then....
This is now!
Ok, so this is going W-A-Y back in time, to what feels like another lifetime ago! I grew up in a large family-- in my early years, it was a family comprised of my parents, four brothers and me. Since we were raised on a farm, "the boys" worked outside with dad and I helped my mother in the house.
How I longed for a little sister.
It was so completely my heart's desire and I often prayed in my childlike way that God would give me one. When I was 8 years old, I learned that my mother was expecting another baby...and I simply believed. It never occured to me that asking God to make this baby a girl was a rather mute point, since a child already is what it is at conception. I waited, and prayed...and waited.
And late one night after I had been sleeping, I woke to find my dad at the door of my bedroom. I remember he was leaning up against the door jam trying to look nonchalant. In the light of the hall lamp, his eyes were smiling. So pleased.
I had a baby sister!
And then God, with his uncanny ability to give "beyond what we can ask or think", sent me two more little sisters, one when I was 11 years old, and an unexpected tag-along when I was 17. Each time--pure joy!
In the early years, our relationship was that of a Big-Sister, Little-Sister, and probably more like a mother-child with my youngest sister. I used to be so proud when people thought I was her mom!
The passage of time has served to gently erase the age differences and now these three beautiful women are my best friends in all the world. They are just THERE in every sense of the word. Since my children are nearly raised and my sisters all have little ones, we still live in very different "seasons" but it feels in a wierd way like we are all the same age now. We don't see each other every day yet I always have the sense that in the midst of my busy life, someone's got my back.
They know how my heart is doing.
We are alike in some ways, very different in others. People say our mannerisms are similar. We certainly don't fit a cookie-cutter stereotype in the way we think, act, process life and our interests and tastes are as varied as our personalities. But we genuinely like each other and love to spend time together (thanks in large part to the example of our mom, who is wholly accepting and sees only the good in others.)
I love my sister Janet's serving spirit, her intuitive ability to make decisions and the practical way she makes things happen. Snap, snap! She is self-sufficient with a can-do attitude. She is usually the driver when we sisters go away together once a year for a weekend. Because she knows the way. And because she can get us there the fastest. Sensitive to the core, she has emotional "antenna" that are on constant alert,keenly attuned to issues of the heart. She has a wild and crazy side too: sometimes her off-the-wall humor completely escapes me (I'm so dang serious and just don't get jokes!)But I laugh at her laughing at herself!
My sister Yvonne is poised, unruffled, and her smile is introspective and composed. She is a deep reflective thinker and her mind is always mulling the meaningful things of life. Von is one of the most creative homemakers I know, with an ability to create something out of almost nothing. Her home is decorated in neutral hues--uncluttered and calming. There is a serenity about her, a wisdom beyond her years. She is a good listener, a faithful friend. I can not ever remember her raising her voice.
And Janelle! She bounced into the world over 30 years ago (look at her expression on both of the pictures above and you get a sense for who she is!) and she is still bouncing! Like the unstoppable Tigger of Winnie-the-Pooh fame, she has an energy that simply emanates from her. Life is FUN when Janelle is around and few people can find more reasons to throw a party than she! Warm and lively, she embraces life with passion, savors the moments, lives each day fully and completely. Her house has stuff in every corner: interesting tidbits, photos, magazine clipouts, vintage articles, garage-sale finds. Each time I visit, I walk around just to see what's new in her world!
Last Sunday my extended family spent some time together celebrating Mother's Day (and a belated Easter egg hunt for the kids). My daughter Tessa snapped the picture shown above. It's one of my all-time favorites, because it reminds me of the sweet gift God has given to me in the form of these precious ladies.
