Sibling Love

Another sunny day but still sweater weather but gratefully it didn't rain. I spent the morning tiding up the house a bit and the remainder of the afternoon watching the clock. The daughter and I were making the drive to the small berg of Lydia to deliver Carrie into the hands of her father. She will spend tonight, Saturday night and Sunday with him.

 

Sometimes the daughter and I reminisce about the children and usually a humorous story will be retold and one I never tire of is as follows:

 

Elise, now a junior in high school was sitting at the table doing her homework. Her mother walks into the room and announces to her "The school called today."

 

At this announcement Elise jumps up and starts babbling about how it wasn't her fault and proceeds to spill her guts on what had happened at school. Her mother nods, smiles and says "Thanks for the info but the school called wanting to know if I would assist them next week on a field trip."

 

Elise drops her head and sinks quietly back into her chair to finish her homework.

 

Fast forward two years and her younger brother Ted is sitting in the same chair doing his homework. His mother again walks into the room and announces "The school called today" at which point Elise comes tearing down the hallway screaming a warning to her little brother "Don't answer, don't answer..it's a trick! It's a trick!" thereby saving her brother from the same embarrassment she had suffered years earlier. What are sisters to do but protect their little brother and Elise has always been good at that. To Ted's credit, he loves his sister and together they both are very loyal to each other. It's a pleasure to watch them together and is how it should be with siblings. Hopefully it will continue for the rest of their lives.

 

Ted is now in his second semester of college. He continues to live at home, works part time and visits his sister at her apartment often. They enjoy each other's company and the six years difference in their ages is no longer a gap that hinders their interactions and activities as it did when they were younger.

 

Carrie, the caboose in the lineup of children is yet another 12 yrs younger then Ted. Her siblings pass on their protection to their little sister. She loves them dearly and will quickly cancel her plans to spend the evening with me should she get an invitation to spend time with her sister and brother and that is as it should be. Loyalty is passed down the line and that is as it should be too. They have been taught well and I believe they will maintain this relationship with each other throughout their life.

 

I'm off to watch a little television and grab an early bedtime.