Sisterhood. It's really a strange relationship, filled with tears, laughter and the odd screaming match. If you're like me, your sister fills some of your most intense memories, good, bad and silly. When I lost my sister to a sudden illness two years ago, I realized that she was my best friend. It's sad that I didn't know it until she was gone. We were very different and we drove each other crazy, but she was my sister, my buddy, my co-conspirator, my scapegoat, my confider and my friend. I miss her every day.
Recently I read Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur. It is a powerful juvenile novel about a young girl who is transformed by loss. Her younger sister dies in the story, and I found myself sobbing as I identified with her anger, grief and confusion. The novel was cathartic for me, for it seems that the loss of a sibling is seldom discussed. It is such an unusual relationship; our siblings are our past, present and future. Losing one is truly like losing a part of yourself. Aubrey's story resonated with me as she coped with her loss, grieved and ultimately moved forward. The most moving parts of the story reduced me to a little girl, missing her big sister.
