A Tale Of Two Sisters

The pumpkin pie is finished off and the leftovers wrapped and put away. Everyone has gone back home and the house is quiet once again.  Oh Lord, I do wish sometimes I had the guts to really say what I wanted at least a half a dozen times tonight.  Instead, I smiled with my lips and said silent prayers for patience, for blessings, for keeping to my pledge of unconditional love.

Sisters we are. Raised under the same roof and shared the same bedroom for most of those years we were together.  Six years apart naturally means we will have differences in influence and interests.  However, with us there is so much more to polarize us.  Her brunette to my blond. Her stocky build to my tiny frame.  Peas vs. tomatoes. Toast and jam vs. cucumber sandwiches.  Silly, manipulative, and full of soap opera trivia vs. serious, bold, and full of worldly curiosity.

I’m not saying one of us is better than the other. On the contrary. We each are very successful in how our choices and actions created the creatures that we are.

I saw it coming. Yes, I did. At a very young age too!   When we were young, I think I was about six and she was twelve… I remember she would often ask me to get her another piece of toast, slathered with margarine and smothered with a thick layer of jelly or jam.   My idea of a treat was a pixie stick. Do you remember those? Straws filled with sour powder, like pulverized sweet-tarts.  She liked pastries, pies, soda, and always cleaned her dinner plate.  I liked veggies fresh from the garden, hated cake and soda, and was a slow and picky eater.

Today we are now in our mid and late fifties.  I’m still petite and in very good shape with my health  because I consistently make healthier choices with food and portion control, and I exercise moderately but regularly.  It’s just that simple!  In her case, she eats without restraint.  She refuses to engage in any exercise and rolls her eyes at me and sighs loudly when I suggest it. She is clinically obese and takes about a dozen prescriptions for mostly weight-related health problems.  She has a bad knee that will require surgery. However, if she lost the weight she could most likely go for years without having surgery.  Now, she complains about her lower back hurting because she has to stand for hours at her job.  She asked her physician for muscle relaxers and  thankfully he turned her down and suggested physical therapy instead.

I have met so many women who wanted to lose weight, gain strength and confidence, and improve their wellness…so they did.  Maybe it’s different when someone is ready and willing to do what it takes to feel better.  When it comes to my sister though, who I love dearly, I have a hard time accepting her self-destructive attitude.  I would rather that we grow old together than bury her long before it’s time.