3 Sisters, 1 Incredible Bond
Sisters can be very different. Have you ever looked at a family and thought, how did the same parents raise these very different children? That is exactly what you would say if you looked at my sisters. The could not be more different. To me, they could not be more perfect.
This week we celebrated National Siblings Day. Normally, I simply post a photo of my sisters on social media to celebrate but this year is different because I lost my oldest sister on St. Patrick’s Day. When I saw National Siblings Day come up on the calendar my heart became overwhelmed with love, my eyes with tears, and my mind with memories of these two beautiful women that were and are incredibly influential in my life.
I’m the youngest of three girls. Sadly, we lost my oldest sister Debbie to cancer this year which is still difficult for me to process because she was the fiercest of us all. Debbie had a spirit that fueled her to lead her life on her terms – period. Her ferocious approach to life is her legacy. If you would like to make a donation in Debbie’s memory, please contribute to LLS HERE.
Know your role
If you have siblings you know each of you has a role in the family. Debbie, as the oldest, knew everything that had to do with everyone we know. She remembered people and instances that my sister Sandi and I forgot about. Debbie knew how we were related to people we did not often see. She was the one who attended memorials on behalf of the family and always knew what to say.
Debbie’s role in the family was unspoken until her funeral. My other sister Sandi and I stood there in the back of the church in tears of sadness and the startling realization that she was our go-to when it came to those things.
Sisters aren’t always close, but always there
Debbie and I didn’t like each other very much when I was growing up. She was annoyed by her little sister, and I thought she was mean. As we matured, however, we realized just how similar we are; and she became my ride-or-die. No matter what I asked her, Debbie was always game. She never missed an opportunity to do the thing. Make the memory. Have the fun. And we did.
Sandi and I were really really close when I was growing up. We are about seven years apart and she was like a second mom to me. To explain just how close we were, Sandi recently told me that after she graduated from college and moved some 6 hours away, she would wake up in the middle of the night in a total panic, worrying about whether or not I was okay. That’s a special bond.
Sisters near death …
Sandi and I also share a life-altering memory. The week she became engaged to her husband, she picked me up from college so we could celebrate. On our way home, we were involved in a head-on collision. The drunk driver who hit us was killed, and Sandi and I came pretty close.
My injuries were more severe than hers. I suffered a broken rib, collapsed lung, bruised heart, and my ankle required reconstructive surgery, not to mention years of night terrors and post traumatic stress. Through it all, the only thing that kept going through my mind was thank God she wasn’t alone. I was grateful to have been with her during the nightmare and wouldn’t trade any of it for anything.
Debbie was out of town at a wedding at the time of the accident. When she got the call, she grabbed her husband (who said he never sobered up so quickly in all his life) and they came right to the hospital. Upon her arrival, Sandi and I joked that we missed her being with us. And my steel-strong sister cried, admitting she would have traded places with us in a heartbeat.
Debbie was my edgy, fun, outspoken sister. Sandi is my rock. She is quiet, faithful, and has an inner strength beyond compare. My sisters couldn’t be more different. They are total opposites and have been their entire lives. I am fortunate to be exactly both of them, and I treasure each and every part of my life that I learned from them.
Sisters in death …
I realize that sometimes life takes us to and from the people in our lives, especially siblings, and we don’t think too much about it because we take for granted they will always be there. Debbie’s death taught me to treasure each moment, and not stray too far. While my sisters won’t always be physically in my life, I am ever grateful they will always be in my soul. They raised me. And I’m proud of the job they did.
Andie Summers has been the host of The Andie Summers Show on 92.5 XTU for 25+ years. She is a dedicated wife, mother, dog-mom, and country music fan. Andie is invigorated by the energy of XTU Nation who, along with her parents and beautiful sisters, helped raise her.