Sisters and Friends

I had a moment yesterday that took my breath away. We were at soccer practice and Maddie was taking a water break. All three girls were clustered around me talking at once with me and with each other. There was chaos and confusion and love and warmth. They were teasing each other and smiling and laughing and loving.

I think every parent has moments where they wonder if they are doing it right? Am I doing what is best for my kids or are they going to need years of therapy later? Some days I am convinced we should just set aside the therapy money now. But then in moments like today, I think we did something right. They genuinely love each other.

There are of course, those moments when I have to separate them before their words wound each other (thankfully, they rarely if ever get physical with each other). But for the most part, left to their own devices they play well together and laugh often. Maddie and Abby played in the pouring down rain last week, stomping through puddles and sliding in the mud. Destiny and Abby bond through the shared chore of the dreaded dishes and it does my heart good to hear encouraging words come out of their mouths toward each other. Maddie and Destiny share a room (well, sort of) and share the same messy tendencies and hear the same lectures from me on putting their things away.

It’s different for me because while I have stepbrothers and stepsisters, we didn’t grow up in the same house. I don’t always get people’s bonds with their siblings and the stuff that they are willing to put up with. The stories that my co-worker’s tell about their siblings and the relationships make me go, “Really?’ On the other hand, when I see a tight bond and an obvious love between siblings then I think “Ah, that’s what I want for my kids.” To consider each other as their own best friends, to know that there is always someone that is rooting for them, someone who has their back and loves them no matter what.