It doesn't happen to me

Here in COG world, we had a medical wake-up call last week. My sister, my best friend, the one that will cover my ass no matter what...had a series of small strokes. The doctors say she is fine. No permanent damage; no harm no foul.

But it really hit me hard (she says, selfishly). My sister is the one to prop me up when I'm down; the one to take me out for a drink to celebrate good times (and forget bad ones). She is generous to a fault, and is the truest friend anyone can have. A hard worker, supportive of friends, and a mama bear when it comes to her family. There would be a gaping hole in my family fabric if she were not here.

My sister is a bit older than me (no need to name numbers, for both our sakes). When I was young, she was a mother figure to me. She was the one that dressed me in the latest fashions before kindergarten, she was the one that braided my hair in those funky Heidi braids that were popular in the early '70s. She was the one that taught me how to apply my makeup, she was the one that taught me how to put in a tampon, and she was the one to tell me to "brush your damn hair, it looks like a mess".

As I grew older, our relationship shifted from the mentoring kind to the kind of friendship that only sisters can have. We can confide our fears with each other; we can confess our weaknesses; we can celebrate achievements together and we can prop each other up with encouragement. I can honestly say there is no other relationship like the one I have with my sister. I love her in so many ways, I don't have enough fingers and toes to count them. So as I sit here, typing with tears on my cheeks, I just thank God that she is safe. That she is here and will continue to be here for a long time to come...

-K