My Sister

"To the outside world we all grow old.  But not to brothers and sisters.  We know each other as we always were.  We know each other's hearts.  We share private family jokes.  We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys.  We live outside the touch of time."  

~Clara Ortega

Rhonda and me

Today is my sister Rhonda's birthday.   To tell you the absolute truth I'm not really sure how old she is.  I could figure it out.  Let's see...she's 17 years older than me and I'm 46 so that makes her what?  63?  She could be 50 for all I know.  It doesn't matter to me.  Age doesn't really count after 40.  Plus, Rhonda is ageless.  She is constant.  Through all the years and years that I've known her, she has remained steadfast and true.  That's what I count on her to be.

I've often wondered about what Rhonda thought when mom and dad announced (did they announce it or just wait for everyone to figure it out???) that she was pregnant.  The scenario that plays out in my brain most of the time is the mortification of a 17 year old girl who realizes that her mother could even GET pregnant.  Mostly I try to picture her as happy to be gaining another sibling...yes???

I never thought it was very fair that I was only three years old when Rhonda got married.  I got jipped.  I never knew her.  I never grew up with her.  I didn't get to share clothes or secrets.  She was grown and gone.  I was closer in age to her oldest child (five years) than to her.  So, needless to point out, our relationship was different than most sisters.  Or at least MY idea of what most sisters were.  She was much older and MUCH wiser than I.  We didn't get to fight like all sisters do (of course there was the infamous time in Calgary when I stomped off to the bathroom when Rhonda was taunting me in a Scrabble game I was losing!  I was furious. Remember that Rhonda???  How embarrassing!)  but that is neither here nor there.

We have always lived miles and miles away from each other so have never experienced running next door for a cup of sugar.   Using our parents' home in Southern Alberta as an anchor spot, most of our adult lives, Rhonda has lived about as far North in British Columbia as I lived South in Utah.  She has been married once.  I've been married twice.  She has five children.  I have two.  She's (probably) never seen a rated R movie.  I've....well.....

So many differences between my sister and me.  Differences that don't matter in the broader scheme of things.  They don't matter because they don't change my feelings toward her.  I love my sister.  We often go months and months without contact but I know that if I need her, I just have to call her.  I never worry that she doesn't think about or love me.  To me, that speaks volumes.  If it doesn't make sense to you as a reader then don't worry about it because it does to me.  Just trust me.

About now you must be wondering if there is anything similar about the two of us.  Yep!  These are the things I know we share:

•     Love of quilting and all things fabric

•     Sense of humor (Although I'm much funnier than she is!)

•     We both got our teaching degrees

•     We wear the same ring size

•     We are both much better looking than any of our brothers

•     We miss our sister and parents

(I'm sure there are many other things but I'll spare you all)

There you have it.  There is so much more I could write here.  More than anything else though, I want my readers...you,  and my dear sister Rhonda to know how very much I love and adore her.  She will probably never know to what extent.  Just trust me when I say (in the most profound words I could muster up) a lot.

Happy Birthday Rhonda!

My siblings

Back:  Bruce, Brian (again with the cut off head), and Larry

Front:  Donna with me and Rhonda

Rhonda with me.

Must. Have. Those. Shoes!

I'm so well behaved.

The last time Rhonda and I were together.

My bother Bruce's wedding in Vancouver.

That saucy gal in the middle is our niece Alissa.

Rhonda and her husband Jim with their offspring. 

I can't even begin to name them all.

Her children, though, Darin, Brent, Cam, Janna, and Mike (whose wedding this was).

I do know that two darling Texan twins are missing from this picture.

whose mother happens to write an amazing sewing blog you can follow

HERE!

(that was a shameless blog promotion just for you Janna :)

One of Rhonda's many talents.