Two Day Magazine

Sis-SQUEEZE-ter

My sister Paola had fun tormenting me growing up. Being ten years younger than her made it easy to poke and make fun, and also trick me into things. Such as, when I was four she gave me soft dog food and told me it was brownie mix. I ate it. She once took toys I had in my room, wrapped them and gave them to as presents. Needless to say, I was quite disappointed to find my Little Mermaid book beneath the pretty wrapping paper. She even stuck me in a dryer once, which is a whole other story.

As I got older, I found ways to retaliate. One night, I waited for her to come home from a date with her high school boyfriend. I peered out the window and saw them making out on the hood of her car. I called our neighbor Mr. Brown, who was like a grandpa to us, and told him that someone was attacking my sister outside. Watching Mr. Brown walk out with his cane yelling at this young man was amusing and sweet revenge.

For my sister’s high school graduation, I convinced her that dad and I went to the car dealership and that he bought her a brand new car, the Volkswagon Jetta, that she had always wanted. After all the presents were dolled out, she looked at my dad and asked him excitedly if there was anything else. I laughed. She didn’t.

But as we grew older we found ourselves loving on each other more. She sent me care packages when I started out in my first year of college. She planned special trips for us and made me feel special when she asked me to be her maid of honor at her wedding. While she went to law school, I sent her encouraging notes telling her that she would be a great judge one day. I spent hours on the phone with her talking about her problems at work or figuring out relationships.

Sure we’ve fought. What siblings haven’t? And certainly we have our differences. She’s religious. I’m not. She’s takes over an hour to get ready. I take ten minutes. She’s never on time for anything. I’m mostly on time. She’s shy. I’m more gregarious.

But despite these differences, we also encourage each other to be better. My sister is the first person who introduced me to volunteering when I was thirteen. She opened my eyes to see that there are people in the world who need help. When my sister was struggling with body image and healthy living, I helped create her a workout plan and encouraged her to take care of herself.

And of course, we understand each other better than anyone else ever will. She and I both witnessed the divorce our parents. When our parents split, Paola and I became each other’s main source of support and love during that time. While the divorce separated the main unit of the family, we drew closer. She took care of me (I was seven at the time) and drove me around to do fun activities, making sure that I enjoyed my childhood.

In a study done in 2010, researchers found that having sisters “protected adolescents from feeling lonely, unloved, guilty, self-conscious and fearful. It didn't matter whether the sister was younger or older, or how far apart the siblings were age wise.” 

My sister, believe it or not, has saved my life from going down dangerous paths. It is because of her love that I felt value when I thought I had nothing to offer this world. She’s given me hope when I felt like a failure and has reminded me that no matter what she will always love me. I have always felt my sister’s love, even through our fighting and bickering. She’s told me that she prayed to have a sister when she was a little girl and was so excited God answered her prayers when I came into the world.

I’m thankful that she prayed for me just so I could experience the vastness of my sister’s love.

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