"Growing up, yours was the hand I could always hold on to. Thanks for not letting go".
The above text was from a birthday card given to me by my sister, TOG (Tess as you all know her) some two years ago. Somehow the words stuck to me like glue. Oh yes, we celebrated her 67th birthday (oops, sorry I just gave her secret away) last Tuesday, April 12, 2011. We all dined and laughed at a beautiful restaurant in Etobicoke with a funny name. Spoons and Forks. The food was superb, thanks to Ate Girl, who led us there by the hand, as she has always been the expert where fine dining is concerned.
TOG and I are the youngest in a family of twelve children, nine of which are girls. I remember going home from my kindergarten school one day demanding that she should go to school with me or I wouldn't go back the following day. Growing up, all we had were each other as best friends and playmates. The rest is history as you all know. We both ended up going to the same school in the same grade. I made sure nobody bullied my baby sister, a promise I made to my mother when every morning before going to school, she would set me aside and say "take care of your sister". I remember our grade six teacher at JASMS, Mrs. Sabino, warning her students on our first day in school "Be careful, class - these two are sisters!".
In her write-up about me, TOG said I've saved her life a dozen times. Well actually, she saved me more times than I could remember. She's been the "Big Sister" to me and to all our siblings. Sisters are funny in a way, They have good days and bad days. They can be friends one day and hate each other the next. Yet through it all, they always end up being the best friends. My dear Classmates - I hope you all have a TOG in the family.
Happy Birthday, sis!
No comments:
Post a Comment