Sisters

I spent the weekend with my cousins Angie and Carrie (and husbands and kids) up at Ang's cottage.  This is family.  This is sisterhood.  We three have been together forever.  Oh sure, we may drift occasionally - Angie moved around a bit during University and then her career took her to Montreal.  But she found her way back.  Carrie and family have moved to a small town a little north of Toronto.  We always have each other's back no matter where we are geographically.  The past few months have been tough for me - emotionally.  But these girls, these women, my sisters, have gently guided me up up up and to see the best in me and the best in all that surrounds me.  This past weekend we laughed, cried and shared ourselves.  I have many sisters in my family.  And each and everyone has something to share, some story to contribute,  a hug like no other.  A reminder that I'm not alone.
I know that I want more laughter in my life.  Laughing is fantastic and it can charge you up like nothing else!  I want to be more easy going.  I heard a song this morning and the words went like this: You may only go around this one time as far as I can tell - it's the time of your life so live it well.  Those Disney movie soundtracks really get it right, don't they?  These little morals that we learn from them aren't just for kids!
Something else that has stuck with me.  I read "The Help" and the main character is a live in nanny who, at bedtime every night, reminds her kids that "You are smart, you are kind, you matter".  Wow.  Powerful stuff.  Everyone needs to hear those words - even adults.  My daughter wrote those words out for me in her artistic style and I have it posted on the fridge where we can all see it everyday.  We matter.