Three Sisters

I'm the youngest of three sisters. My mother was the middle of three sisters. Her youngest sister had three daughters. In our family, sisters mostly come in threes.

Here's my mother (on the far left) and her two sisters (and their brother)

Their parents died when the sisters were young women; my youngest aunt Gerry was still in high school. Their brother was married with a young family, so the three sisters lived together. My mother was the first to marry and my father moved in with the three sisters. When my Aunt Gerry married, my Aunt Loraine continued to live with my parents. She even came along when my dad went back in the army and was stationed all over, including Japan. My mother was the housewife and "mom" but my aunt was the career woman -both good influences on us girls. Later on when I was in high school my aunt moved back to Washington DC where the career opportunities were better. My two sisters eventually moved there too. And later, my dad was transferred to DC. Even though my mother and aunt no longer lived together, they spoke on the phone every day. My Aunt Gerry had stayed in their hometown, but my mother and aunt phoned her at least once a week.

My sisters and I live within a couple of miles of each other and we don't talk once a day. Sometimes weeks go by. We do try to get together for dinner at least once a month, though, and we are there for each other if there's a need.

Christmas Eve about three years ago one of my sisters had to go to the emergency room for a blood transfusion. She had dangerously low iron deficiency. We all had lots to do that day but we dropped everything to keep her company in the ER. Because she would have done the same for us.

We've also been close to my three cousins, because, of course, growing up we visited them every summer, but none of us are very good at keeping in touch regularly. I do send two of my cousins copies of my books, though.

A few years ago we all had a cousin reunion, the first time we'd all been together since the last of those three original sisters died. That's me in the middle; my sisters on the left and my cousins (minus one) on the right.

All of us are so different. We really have very little in common, fewer than two friends might have. It doesn't matter. Sisters are connected by the heart.

Labels: cousins, sisters

posted by Diane Gaston @ 12:10 AM 9 comments