I suppose that I'm not different from any other girl that grows up wishing I had a sister. Having a brother was great, and I love him dearly, but I often wondered what it would be like to share the bond that only sisters have. Every one of my friends seems to have a sister, and I always love watching the special relationship they share.
When Jenna was 1, and still a baby herself, we found out that we were expecting again. I was thrilled at the idea of having two children so close in age, because that would mean that they would grow up together and be close enough in age to be true friends. I can't explain the joy I felt when the ultrasound tech told us that she was "fairly certain" that our second child was going to be a girl. Once we began to share the news, many people said that they guessed we were disappointed to not be having a boy this time around. They couldn't have been more wrong. In my heart, I already loved my second baby girl, and I couldn't wait to watch her and Jenna grow up together as sisters.
Fast forward nearly 4 years, and mommy had a chance to witness first-hand how powerful and beautiful that bond can be. It was an early spring evening, and our entire family was at Kara's preschool for their annual pet parade and show. Each preschooler had brought their favorite stuffed animal to school that day, and tonight was their chance to get up on stage and share their pet with the audience. As the preschool children paraded into the auditorium, I saw a familiar look on Kara's face. Fear. Panic. The beginning signs that she wasn't going to do what was expected of her, not if it meant standing in front of the crowd. Her classmates took turns, one by one, going up on the stage to introduce their pet. When Kara was next in line, and receiving coaching from one of her teachers, I could see from across the auditorium that she was shaking her head, and averting her gaze. Her lip was quivering, and tears were welling up in her eyes. The teachers quickly ushered Kara over to the side, and sent the next child in line up on to the stage.
From across the auditorium, I sat there with a heavy sadness in my heart. Of all the students in the program, my little girl was going to be the only one to not participate. It would be yet another experience that Kara would miss out on, due to her insecurity, fear, or general non-compliance. Jenna sat next to me, whispering about how Kara needed help. I knew that if I were to go over there, Kara would run into my arms and melt into a puddle of tears. So I sent her big sister.
Jenna went over to her little sister, whispered in her ear, took her by the hand, and led her up on to the stage. She gently coaxed Kara into sitting in the chair, promising to stay right there by her side.
The audience laughed and, I have to admit, I chuckled too. But deep down inside I wasn't laughing. My eyes were filling up with tears, my lip was quivering, I was averting my gaze, and my heart was filled with inexplicable pride and joy. Here it was, the day I had been waiting for. The day I got to see first-hand how special and powerful the bond between sisters can be.
When the show was over and the girls came down to sit with the rest of their family, Kara jumped in the chair beside her sister, said, "thanks sissy" and gave her a big hug.
That's when I melted into a puddle of tears.
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