Sisters

Why don’t they get along?

I don’t remember fighting with my sister.  I just don’t.  What I do distinctly remember is my mother saying that she never fought with her siblings the way that my siblings and I fought – and hating it.  So I won’t say that to my girls.

But I will admit that the constant and unending sibling rivalry between these two girls – who are basically mirror images of each other – physically, emotionally and spiritually, separated by seven years – is exhausting.  They both feel like they are the victim, that I favor the other one, that they are completely innocent and the other one is totally wrong, all the live long day.

And then it’ll flip, and they’ll remember that they like each other, and Jessie will do something so sweet for Julie, or Julie will do something adorable for Jessie – and it’ll be blissful.  For five minutes.

Sam stays mostly out of the loop.  In part because he spends a lot of time in his bedroom, and in part because he doesn’t really compete with them.  He’s the boy – he’s grubby and usually in his underwear, he doesn’t share toys or watch the same shows, or like the same things..  He doesn’t always get along with them, but mostly he just ignores them.  Or they ignore him.  He’s close with both of them, in some ways.  Jessie tends to go in and hang out on his bed, while he’s at his desk, and Julie still idolizes him… but there’s more of a distance there now.