Sisters

My mom was the second oldest of six children. My aunt Lindell is the oldest. Next came my mom. Then came four boys in a row: Paul, Jim, Richard and John. My mom and her sister were always very close-- best friends in fact. Maybe it was because they were the only girls out of all the siblings, or maybe because they grew up in a military family that moved around a lot, or perhaps they were best friends because they were so close together in age (they were born only 12 months apart; my aunt on October 6th and my mom one year later on October 30th--that's close!). Regardless of the reason, my mom and her sister were two peas in a pod. They always shared a room growing up, and sometimes even shared a bed! My aunt swears that they never had any major arguments, just a few disagreements here and there. And once they were both married, even their spouses got along great! My mom and Lindell (along with my Grandma), usually planned out the holiday gatherings. One year we'd have Thanksgiving at Lindell's house and Christmas at my mom's house, then we'd switch the next year. They called each other daily and got together often to shop or just have lunch. And during the six months my mom was hospitalized, Lindell (along with my dad) was by her side every single day. Lindell lovingly cared for her, read to her, fluffed her pillows, talked to her, held her hand, washed her hair, massaged her feet, prayed for her and did anything else my mom wanted or needed. She said it was her honor to care for her sister that way. It has been very hard on Lindell since my mom's passing. Because of their closeness in age, she has never known a day without my mom-- without her best friend. Thankfully, she and I live about 4 miles apart, so I can see her often. She told me after my mom died that she would love to "fill in" as a surrogate grandma as much as she can. I so appreciate that. Being around her makes me feel close to my mom.

I sure hope these two sweet sisters have the same kind of loving friendship as my mom and her sister did. What a true gift!