SISTERS

Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply...... ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

Tomorrow is a day I have been looking forward to for several weeks now. My three sisters and I are doing a "Sisters Day"......Sister Betsy is coming from the south, Sister Lois and I are coming from the west, and we are meeting at Sister Ruth's house for a quick cup of coffee and potty break, and are then taking off for a day of fun. The first stop is a giant book sale in a college town not too far from Ruth's place. All of us sisters love to read and a huge book sale is one of our favorite shopping trips. Just think, if we would each buy ten books and pass them around when we're finished reading them, we can each have forty new books to read!

Then we have to do lunch, of course. I'm guessing we'll be looking for a women's luncheon destination, some place unique where we can find something not offered at the fast food or chain restaurants. Somewhere that makes a great cup of coffee, maybe a tasty cup of soup and a delicious salad or nummy sandwich. A place that doesn't play rap music as we dine or where teens aren't texting on their cells as they dip their french fries into ranch dressing. We want the kind of place that you don't go to every day, a place that our men probably wouldn't want to take us to, the kind of place that women gather at and sip lattes or cappuccinos and eat scones and tirimisu.

Then off to another shop for bargains. We found out that our favorite T-shirts are on sale at the outlet mall located a few miles in the other direction from Sister Ruth's house, so we'll be off to see what colors we don't have or to replace the dingy looking ones we're currently wearing.

But most of all I am looking forward to spending a fun day with my three sisters. It's about a year ago that our mom's health began to go downhill much more quickly than we expected it would. It's about a year ago that I began to rely on my sisters more than I ever had before in my life. These past few weeks I have become more emotional when thinking of my mom and my sisters and I know the next couple of months will be even more emotion filled as we approach the one year mark of mom's death.

I am so thankful I have my sisters.

I am also extremely thankful for my one brother, Paul, but he doesn't drink coffee, eat scones or wear pastel colored T shirts, so we didn't invite him!