My Sister

We’ve been through so much together

When the dust settled

We were all that was left

It was always this way

From the minute I learned to hold your bottle

And change your diapers

We hid from the world together

We figured out who we were together

We made mistakes together

I didn’t know that day

When I sat in the car with Mama

And waved at the figure in the window of the hospital

What you would mean to me

They brought you home wrapped in a crochet blanket

It had been raining and the brick walkway was wet

When mother stepped from the car, I ran outside to greet you

You looked like me when I was born

They brought you inside

and made me sit in the chair

Then you were put into my arms

I remember feeling terrified I would drop you

But I looked down and you slept peacefully

I had no idea what wonderful friends we would become

And now we laugh and giggle like we did as children

We have a secret language only we know

We have a connection we can’t begin to understand

We don’t always understand what the other is going through

But we listen

We try to shake the other out of our stupor

We’re just there

I had no idea on this day

All those years ago

My best friend was being born

I love you sissy