a Little Sister’s Love

I have been wanting to do this one for quite a while; it has been sitting in my mind (somewhere between the Parietal and Occipital lobes) for weeks and weeks.

It is for my best friend, my confidant, my sense of reason when I lose balance & direction – my sister – Steph.

This is how I recall us in my earliest memories. Me in silly sandals, her in pigtails and patent leather shoes. We were as thick as thieves, and she looked up to me and followed me no matter what mischief I was up to. We never had a pet mouse, but we had many pets that we loved, and the mouse stands for all. I remember three cats in particular, one of which I’ll mention. It followed us home, if I recall correctly, and we convinced mum & dad to let us keep it. It was a gorgeous little black and white thing, barely more than a kitten, and probably not old enough to be away from its mother. It sucked its tail noisily when it slept… and it had a fondness for sleeping on the street. We loved that cat. You can guess what happened to it, one night as we slept – and the depth of love I remember having for that cat is probably the reason I don’t care for them much now. Losing a pet is simply too much. I remember the way my sister and I shared both that love and grief; it was our pet, not a family pet.

Wow, but when I digress, I don’t do it in half measures, huh?

So: this is for my sister. These days she is someone of whom I could not be prouder to call both family and friend. She is successful, and bright, and happy, and confident – none of which are the true reasons I admire her. I admire her because she is unique and special in every way, and who she is brightens my life and makes me desire to be better.

Love you, Steph.