Sisters Are Cool

My sister and her fiance are staying with us this week so sis can spend some time at the hospital get trained (and then train the family and caregivers if we need additional instruction that we missed) on how to care for bro when he gets out of the spinal cord facility.

We've had a few (very short, because we are both crazy busy) conversations about what is going on in her life right now. She has a ton to deal with and I'm struck by what an awesome person she is and how well she is balancing it all.

Also, I can't help but be amused at the odd parallels in our lives. Three years ago, I was in a very similar situation to her: I was trying to balance the unavoidable stress of planning a wedding, the medical and family stresses associated with caring for our sick father (as opposed to our injured brother), and, like her, I was also doing my best to learn what I needed to know in a demanding education program to pursue my second career. It was a very overwhelming time.

I feel very lucky to be able to discuss and share my feelings, expectations, surprises, and thoughts about what is/was going on in our lives with someone who shares similar experiences as well as many of my values. Also, she makes me laugh and she makes me proud in a special sister-pride way that no one else can make me feel.

Basically, I am very thankful to have my sister in my life.