Someone posted this on Facebook a few days ago:
If I knew who posted it, I’d give credit, but I don’t. However, it has sorta remained in the back of my mind ever since. You may have several sisters—or none at all—but I think just about anyone who has a sister would agree with me that they are special.
Your parents are the ones who go back the furthest in your personal history, but one day you may find yourself in my position. My father has been gone for 22 years, and my mother, though still with us, has very little awareness of anything as she approaches her 98th birthday. That means neither is a source of shared memories.
My sister Barb has been around all my life, plus a couple of years before I was born. Someone made her a cotton candy cake for her 73rd birthday:
I have friends who have known me for a few years or a decade or even more, but Barb is the only one with day-to-day memories of my childhood. In fact, she was right there behind me in many of them:
She remembers me in kindergarten and all the way through school:
I have first cousins I’m close to, and we have memories of visits and other special times when we were children, but Barb is the only one surviving whose memories of me go from the day I was born to the present. Well, she was pretty young the day I was born, but you know what I mean.
Here are some other photos of Barb. In the first, she’s with her daughter Wendy at her (Barb’s) wedding in 2004. She and I are in her back yard in Spokane in 2008, and she and my daughter Lynn surround my mother in the home where Mother lives.
Before you ask, that’s obviously a pillow under my shirt. I couldn’t possibly be that big.
Barb and I haven’t lived in the same state, or even the same part of the country, since she moved to Billings, Montana, in 1965. That’s nearly 50 years of geographic separation, but the familial bonds don’t drop off just because we don’t see each other often. When we do, we pick right up where we left off on the last visit, and when we’re not together, it’s somehow comforting to know that someone who has known me and cared for me all my life is still out there somewhere.
Tell us about your sister—or brother. Our readers would love to hear from you.
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WANA: We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
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For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
David N Walker 
You have a beautiful relationship with your sister. You are very blessed!
I lost my sister to cancer last year and I was fortunate enough to stay by her side when she passed. I feel her missing from me tremendously every single day. I love to see other people who have close relationships with their sisters because it reminds me of the love I had with mine. God bless and keep you both!
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Thanks, and I’m sorry for the loss of your sister. Obviously, one of these days one of us will lose the other, but I hope that’s some years down the road.
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My sister is one of my best friends. We love getting together and singing or talking about the latest good book we’ve read. Because we’re only 2 years apart, we went through a small fremenmies state when we were in high school, but quickly outgrew it. Although we live in different states, we spend as much time together as possible.
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Great, Kitt. It’s such a comforting relationship.
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David, I loved your article about Barb and your relationship, thank you for writing this. I know Barb was really touched by it. I hope June and I can see all of you while Barb is there, we have not made any plans yet. Love you, Jane
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I thought of you and June as I wrote this, Jane. I know the bond between twins I even stronger than other sibling relationships.
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This is so true David! There is something very special about the people who’ve known you the longest. It sounds like a very special relationship and one you will treasure always!
I have a brother and sister. My brother is a stereotypical boy who doesn’t stay in touch as often, but when we do get together, some of those inside jokes seem to leak out!
My sister and I have always been close and she lives an hour away. We stay in touch and are very close too. 🙂
Thanks for bringing this to the party! Don’t forget to click on a few links!
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Thanks for letting me come to your party, Susie. I always appreciate your allowing us to take over your place.
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Howdy! Susie sent me. Really enjoyed your post! 🙂
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Thanks, Austin. Hope you’ll come back again.
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I shall!
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Hi David – Susie sent me over. I like this post! I don’t have sisters, but appreciate what you said about your siblings knowing your history better than anyone. I’m sure my two brothers could say the same thing. There’s something about that shared connection that’s so important. Love your kindergarten picture, too! Those smiles are priceless.
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Thank you, DMS. I have to agree – I do look better in the kindergarten picture than I do now. lol.
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David, you sure know how to bring a few tears to my eyes. Thanks for this special post about our bond. I too am so grateful for the shared memories that we have …. there have been a few times when we didn’t remember things exactly the same …. but after all, we are different people with different perspectives …. and a world of love. Our cousins and my friends from long ago are precious to me …. but you are the most special, of course. (Next time leave the pillow on the bed when you are being photographed.) For all of David’s friends, let me assure you that he has always been a real character … and a wonderful, dear brother. Love you, Bro.
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Thanks, Barb. See you in a couple of weeks or so.
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Dear David, I thoroughly enjoyed Sisters. You were a VERY handsome youngster indeed. I was never blessed with a sister, but had one brother,..Bill. He was an outgoing, likable, fun-loving guy that made friends (many) readily. He had many admirable qualities——-but alas he also had more than his share of mischief. During those critical teenage years he dealt no end of misery to my Dad and Mother. On one occasion he teamed up with some buddies and succeeded in cutting off the heat supply at our school. The motive was, of course, to enjoy a school dismissal (Salt Lake City winters are severe). But the plan failed. Not only did classes continue uninterrupted, but Bill and his cohorts were apprehended and punished severely. But the story has a happy ending. Years later Bill and his family (Dad,Mother,and I) come under the godly influence of a converted Jew–Dr.Charles L.Feinberg, resulting in the salvation and transformation of the entire family! In God’s time Bill becomes a Christian leader and officer in our Church. Oh, The Wonderful Grace of Jesus! Bill went home to be with the Lord in 1987, but I have the blessed hope of seeing him again one day as we gather at our Savior’s feet to worship HIM forevermore!
Sent from my iPad
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Good memories, Don. Must have been hard on your mother to outlive your brother.
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I am the oldest, so I have the memories in this family. I have 5 brothers and one sister. We fought like cats and dogs when we were younger ( she’s 5 yrs. 2 months younger), now she’s the best (and worse, ha ha ha ) sister ever. I’ve taken care of my brothers and sister since I was 5, off and on, ( my mother was extremely ill when we were growing up and wound up in the hospital a lot) and as I was the oldest, even though I was extremely young myself, it fell to me to take care of my siblings. But, we made it. I will cherish my sister forever and love her unconditionally, she is the best, bar none.
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Thanks, Fran. Your husband was pretty special to me back in the mid-1950’s.
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What a great post about your sister, David. My sister and I are very close. She’s my best friend. Of course we’ve fought like the dickens over the years, but it always comes back to us against the world when called for. 😉 I can’t imagine my life without her.
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So typical, Rhonda. Fight like dogs and cats, but nobody else better say anything bad about either one of you.
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I always wished I had a sister.
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I wish you did, too Carole. Do you have brother?
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Sisters are immensely important. That shared history is so important. I’ve been blessed with wonderful sisters, Dolores and Lolly, and a special sister-law, Barb. And I have a couple of very close friends who are my beloved sisters as well.
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Thanks, Sharon. You do have friends that go way back, but Dolores is the only one who remembers your early childhood.
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Just beautiful!
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Thanks, Karlene. BTW, I’ve been enjoying your posts about the Malaysia Airlines plane.
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