Monday, May 25, 2009

SISTERHOOD

This weekend, Hannah spent lots of time with her sister. Four months older and wiser, Alyssandra is a surrogate sister to my six-month old, Hannah. The child of my matron-of-honour, Aly is hitting all her milestones and melts your heart with her toothy grin and signature cry for "Mama" when her mom is out of the room. I'm carefully noting the details of her life and what to expect should Hannah soon follow suit. While I am one of numerous godparents to Aly, her parents are going to be the sole godparents of Hannah. Good people and positive role-models, we knew that they would love and care for Hannah as their own should we ever need their help.

On Saturday night, they came over to spend a relaxing evening at home, enjoying some Chinese take-out and watching the Lakers game. The little girls sat on the playmat grabbing at all the objects around them and each other. Aly sat firmly exploring the new toys and a different environment while Hannah (for the most part) sat steadily observing her playmate. Certainly a familiar face, but I wondered what Hannah was thinking...playdates, sleepovers, study buddies, and double dates? No, probably not her thoughts, just mine. Nonetheless, it made me smile to think how great it was to have someone with her as she went through those rites of passage.

The following day we met up with Aly's family at Ashbridges Bay in downtown Toronto. In our Civic went the stroller, straw mat, bottles, food, and all the other stuff a trip to the beach required. Aly's brothers set up a tent that was perfect for the babies and Aly's cousins who were school-age and affectionate with their youngest relation. There, the two littlest girls were entertained with toys, books, and a little bit of singing. The mommies took turns watching the girls while the numerous volleyball games went on through the afternoon and into the evening. The girls took things that belonged to the other and then the other would cry just like sisters would. They laughed at my silly faces and were spooked by the same new faces who popped out of nowhere. Diapers were changed, bottles were fed, and eventually, one little girl allowed the exhaustion to consume her and closed her eyes. Hannah's first time at the beach kept her awake as she took it all in: sand, gulls, ice-cream carts, roller-bladers, dogs, and dancing bugs as the sun began to set. She watched as Aly took her nap.

We're sure that the two girls will grow up together and hope our daughter will appreciate having Aly around. From Game Nights to barbecues to more beach outings, they'll go through life together. Being an only child, having a sister is something I wish I had. It's a best friend, a supporter, and a confidante all rolled into one. Sisterhood is not about blood, but about something much deeper. It's a bond that begins with common interests and affection, but develops with time. While in the tent, one song in particular made the babies smile: "The more we get together, together, together, the more we get together, the happier we'll be." And certainly from this weekend's adventures, they seem happy to share in this friendship together and it's just the beginning.

2 comments:

FlyingFree said...

A very sweat piece. I am very touched by your perspective towards sisterhood.

Royster said...

Beautifully written Mama Yvonne! That was very touching!

So, when are we going to have a house side-by-side and share a sandy backyard for our volleyball net? So, when Aly says that she's going to sleep over Hannah's house, it would be easy to check up on her and make sure she's there haha!