Tag: Sisters

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Sisterly Love

With my Sisters, at the Base of the Acropolis!
With my Sisters, at the Base of the Acropolis! L to R, Cally, Mary, Me

There is no outsider anywhere who wouldn’t appreciate and even envy the tremendous advantage that sisters have if properly utilized, against all odds- Susan Ripps

Today is my sister’s birthday- Happy Birthday Mary! It’s also a perfect time for me to spend a few moments thinking about sisterhood.

If you have a sister, you will understand. You will know about the good times, the growing up times, the not so easy times and the special times.

The Oldest and (temporarily) the Tallest!
Me- The Oldest and (temporarily) the Tallest!

When we were growing up, we three were like jam (stuck together!) and we watched out for each other. We rode bikes, played Batman and Robin and jumped on our beds just like most other kids.

We fought and made up. We dished and kept quiet. We occasionally told on each other and then stuck our tongues out to rub it in good.

We sang in middle school chorus and took piano and guitar lessons. The church choir was our back bone and GOYA (the Greek Orthodox Youth Association) our teenage learning years. Greek school was mandatory but there’s not much we remember about that today.

Our mom was tough but Dad was even tougher. Three daughters must have been quite hellish for him at times; too much to worry about. But they did a fine job and I must say we are quite the talented bunch.

To this day, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t share with my sisters. Though I was encouraged to be their role model, they have seen me stumble, fall, get back up, fall again, hit the wall, succeed. They stuck with me through all of it, never making fun of me or thinking less of me. I guess I have shown them my imperfect side, my soft side, because the role model side would not have taught them as much.

We went out to dinner the other night just the three of us and our mom. We toasted our dinner and our time together. It’s been a great holiday and it’s about to get even greater with a shopping trip today and dinner out tonight including our fabulous partners.

So here’s to Mary- Happy Birthday!

Do you have a sister or someone who is like a sister to you?

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The Graces of Sisterhood

Graces

1.Greek & Roman Mythology Three sister goddesses, known in Greek mythology as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who dispense charm and beauty.

2. Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.

3.The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God.

4. An excellence or power granted by God.

 I have been wanting to write about my two sisters for some time now. There are those ideas, as I’m sure other writers will attest to, that are just challenging to put into words. But here and now I’m going to try and describe the feelings I have for my two sisters.

L to R, Joanne, Mary, Cally

First, just bit of background. Mary is two years younger than me. When we were growing up, she and I played Batman together, rode Schwinn bikes together, fought and protected each other. Today she is an entrepreneurial, forward thinking, loving woman who makes time for anyone and any good mission or project. Cally is four years younger than me. I remember her as a child, but just barely. I am sure I protected her, watched over her, as my father often reminded me of my caretaker and role model responsibilities. Cally is soft and quiet but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t step up to the plate. She is quite the leader, eloquent writer and artistic creator.

I think the three of us are a blend of my father’s outstanding leadership qualities and our mother’s (Katherine) wisdom, strength and great Grecian- inherited event planning skills. How very lucky we are to have been so blessed!

It was not until the three of us left for college that I felt how really close we were. Though separated by distance, we would come together at holidays and on special occasions. As we got older, we shared our life experiences, our trials and tribulations of growing up. We have not agreed upon everything but we respect and support each other. I think we make a great team, bouncing ideas off each other and managing some good retail therapy when we have a chance to be together.

There is no denying that now, the relationship between us is very strong. I found a quote by Susan Ripps in which she says “There is no outsider anywhere who wouldn’t appreciate and even envy the tremendous advantage that sisters have, if properly utilized, against all odds”. How true!

At the Base of the Acropolis!

God must certainly have Grace in mind when he creates sisters.  Divine love, the state of being protected, and power to support, love and care for each other. When I found the definition of Graces in Wikipedia (in my opening), somehow it was just perfect for describing my relationship to my sisters.

Do you have a sister? Whether she is blood related or not, sisterly bonds can last forever. I can think of several people who I feel special enough about to call them sisters. Tell me in comments below what your sister(s) mean to you. I’d love to hear about it!

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