Such Devoted Sisters

 By Amy Coward

“Sisters. Sisters. There were never such devoted sisters.” These lyrics from the 1954 movie, White Christmas are probably not familiar to many, but having grown up with two close sisters, I’ve always loved the song.

For those of you who don’t have a sister, let me extend my sincerest condolences. I am lucky in this regard and I just feel plain sorry for you if you’re without.

My sister, Janice, and I are best friends. Even though there’s a difference of 11 years between us, we’re very close and we became even closer when we lost our other sister, Karen, to cancer years ago. When we get together, it’s great food, great wine and non-stop talking (probably due to the great wine). And since we live in different states, get-togethers are truly special occasions that are celebrated. We try special recipes, share dieting tips (yes, we’re always dieting or griping about dieting), catch up on family news, share our parenting challenges (which are still there even though the kids are grown), plan special family events and try to solve the world’s problems. It’s a lot to do in a weekend, but we give it our best shot.

Janice is the better host for sure. She is a fabulous cook and always pulls out all the stops with some lavish dinner that no 5-star restaurant could top. I always feel like I’m visiting an exclusive bed and breakfast when I visit – the fresh flowers, the beautiful food presentation and the thoughtful gifts.  I’m sad to say she does not get the same level of treatment at my house. I’m more of a cereal-for-breakfast and crock-pot dinner kind of host. But I have wine and that makes up for most sins.

I know there are many of you that have close girlfriends that perhaps substitute as sisters. You go on girls’ weekends and shop and have wine and so on. I’ve been on one of those and they’re fun. It’s true. But there’s nothing like a sister to share family jokes and funny stories from childhood or to laugh at family idiosyncrasies. (Yes, we have a few.)

This summer, Janice and I will have the honor of hosting a bridesmaids’ luncheon for my niece. She’s the daughter of our sweet sister, Karen, who left this world nearly 18 years ago. While it’s unbearable to think of Karen not being there on such a special day, all we have to do is see her daughter, Alex, and know that a part of her is still here. I’m sure we’ll cry a little that day from the painful absence, but we’ll also shed tears of joy for the day and all that it means. We’ll pretend Karen is there crying, ruining her make-up along with us, then laughing at how ridiculous we look. We’ll have some wonderful food, drink some wine and enjoy being together. And in so doing, we’ll create another memory to share when we get together down the road to celebrate sisterhood.

Amy Coward is a public relations professional in Columbia, SC. When she is not managing the madness of event planning at Palmetto Health Foundation, she is turning her empty nest upside down looking for fun and finding it. 

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