She is . . . My Sister

Upon searching through a very commonly used website, I found a quote that really stuck out today. It stated "She is my rock, my inspiration. Though impossible to define in just one word, she is my sister". This quote seems to be the only thing that I can possibly relate to lately. Every relationship I have been in has had it's ups and downs, it's faults and it's breaking points. But the relationships that truly stand out, the ones that will stick with me for the rest of my life, are the ones that I like to categorize as my sisterhood. I'm proud to say I have three sisters.

I was born one of three daughters, the youngest unfortunately. Not only did my birth order usually cause trouble in my household, but also the circumstances that brought me to today have effected the relationships I have with my sisters. We fight, like many women do, and up until recently I would have to be honest in saying there were times when we had to be ripped away from each other for the fear that one of us would kill the other. But we also laugh. Laughter is the one thing that I know I can count on to fill the halls of this house that up until recently were very silent.

Through the hard times the three of us have faced, we have all dealt with life in a different way. But when push comes to shove and all the superficial bullshit is pushed aside, the only place we want to be is sitting in a car, drinking some coffee, and talking about our problems.

You're probably wondering why I said I have three sisters, being that I am one of three daughters.

I have two biological sisters: Gillian and Nadine. Gillian is the eldest and I'd be lying if I said we got along great. For a while I thought I truly hated her. But I know now that I don't (even if at times I want to hurt her). The problem with our relationship is the age difference and the way it gets to both of our heads. I want to have fun and be who I want to be, she wants to be my artificial mother. Never really worked out well for us. Then there's Nadine. Nadine and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember. I look just like her, only taller, and we both have the same brain. Our tolerance for annoyance is set at -1 and we both have very strong personalities. Our fights never last more than five minutes because usually our laughter cuts through the tension.

Those are my two biological sisters, the ones that I'm obligated to, but also the ones I wouldn't trade for the world. Then comes Gwen. Gwen is not my biological sister, but a friend that evolved to so much more than a friend. Through the hard times the two of us have faced, we always turned to each other. She is the mirror to my personality, and isn't afraid to let me know when I'm stepping out of line.

Without a doubt I can say I'm closer to her than to any other person in the world, yet I know that we don't need to have expectations of each other. In some friendships, there's always the theory of the 'norm'. That these friend should be there 24/7 for you, that they should drop everything and run to do whatever you need them to do. These people should always make you laugh, and bring a you a good time every time.

But, in all honesty, the moments that transcend friends to 'sisters' would have to be the moments that you are knee deep in kleenex and your face looks like Rocky Balboa has taken you for a couple of rounds inside the ring. Those moments really show you who was there in the past, who sits beside you now, and who will always be there when you need a friend.

Life throws curveballs to see who will be there for you once you strike out; my sisters will always be there for me, and I for them. They are my rocks, my inspirations, the ones that pick me up when I'm six feet under.