Sisters

This morning, Corinne and I were watching one of her favorite YouTube people, Rosanna Pansino. If you have never watched "Ro," I highly recommend her videos. Very adorable, totally kid friendly, and since my kid loves baking/cooking, it's right up her alley as most of Ro's videos are of cool cakes and such. Today, though, we were watching video after video of Ro and her sister Molly (Aka, Mo). Ro and Mo are hysterical together! Similar personalities that are really complimentary towards the other without taking life too seriously; as far as YouTube personalities go, these are definitely ladies I am 100% ok with my daughter watching.

It was these sister videos, though, that started our conversation today and led to a moment of wistful reflection. "Do you wish you had a sister, too?" I asked.

"Yeah," deep, meaningful sigh.

"Sisters are pretty awesome," I said, "but you have your brothers, and that's something special, too."

She quietly nodded, but I am pretty sure she was thinking "But brothers don't do THIS. They don't giggle and snort over silly games and share clothes and give advice..." 

I will admit, I had two pretty awesome sisters. We didn't get along 100% of the time, of course, but in the grand scheme of life, they are my best friends. I can't imagine life without them. Having never had a brother of my own, I have little experience in what that kind of relationship is like, other than the sibling bonds within my house right now. I know that Corinne wouldn't give up her brothers, but most of her female friendships are determined by the whims of the world; "Will this friend move away, too? Will this friend change her mind and lose interest in me? The age difference with this friend was too large, and she aged out of me." 

Sisters don't move away/lose interest/worry about age differences. Family is usually connected forever, despite any of those obstacles. I know she sees me and my own sisters and is wondering "Will I ever have that?"

My hope is that she remembers her girl cousins, especially the two that are born within a year of her (though she adores her older girl cousin, too). I hope they can remain her surrogate sisters and stay close (if not closer) as they grow up. 

Reminding her of the unique bond she has with her cousins, and how a sister isn't a guaranteed BFF, helped. She is still wistful for the unknown, and I would have loved to have provided her with the sister of her dreams, but it wasn't meant to be. Perhaps that mythical sister would have been her undoing? Maybe my easy-going and accepting girl might have been permanently altered if a little sister had been in the cards?