DAY TWELVE

I am thankful for my sisters.

Someone once said, "There can be no situation in life in which the conversation of my dear sister will not administer some comfort to me. "

And for me, this quote is a perfect way to describe how I feel about Beth and Emily. They bring such comfort. They bring familiarity. And they bring joy to my heart.

Like many sisters, we didn't always get along. I remember times when Beth and I would get into pinching matches as we fought over Barbies. Emily was the sweet curious one who always wanted to be included, and I often shut my bedroom door to keep her out. And I can certainly remember times when they would join forces as the oldest and youngest, with the pure intent of making my middle sister life miserable. But there is a sweet understanding with sisters. Despite all the crazy and mean things we did to each other in our youth, we grew up. We forgot. We forgave. And we forged an unbreakable bond.

I am thankful for Beth. From the time we were young, she is the maternal one. She is so sensitive to our feelings and allows her heart to hurt right along with you. There are many times when Beth took care of me in our young adult years. I remember one night in college when I was stressed and crying about an accounting test I had the next day. Beth insisted I leave the Kappa house and come stay with her. When I arrived, she had a bubble bath ready for me and encouraged me through my studying. That is so Beth. She was in the delivery room the day Pearce was born and cheered me on as I worked through the most important, yet exhausting thing I had ever done. She loved on Pearce in the wee hours of the morning so I could get some much needed sleep. And she is always ready to help in any way she can. She has always taken care of me.

I am thankful for Emily. At some point during our adolescence, Emily went from the sweet and unsure youngest sister to the disciplined, wise one after God's own heart. She is the one who speaks truth in my life, especially when I don't want to hear it. And she is loyal. After our first miscarriage, Emily was on summer break from her teaching in Texas. She came and stayed a week with us to care for Pearce, and to provide love and laughter during a difficult time. That meant more to Jimmy and me than we could ever express.  She genuine in her celebrations and compliments and can boost my mood or self esteem with a simple word of encouragement. And Emily is wonderful with Pearce. I often call her for teacher advice on how to redirect Pearce or respond to some new phase we encounter. She has always been an encouragement .

I am thankful for the fun we have together. We could be in the middle of a 12 hour session of watching paint dry, and have the time of our lives. They make everything better. We are often the loud family at restaurants that laughs so obnoxiously loud, we turn heads. And we totally don't care. Because we are having a fabulous time and would be happy to welcome anyone who wanted to join in our odd and often inappropriate humor. Our husbands are still trying to figure out what it means to be a man in the "Watkins" side of the family. Bless their hearts, all three of our husbands grew up with one brother. You can imagine their whiplash and shock in marrying into our crew.

But I love it. I wouldn't change one thing about our relationship. Okay, maybe one: I wish we all lived down the street from each other so our kiddos could grow up and love one another the way we love each other.

Lord, thank you for the love You have shown me through my sisters. Thank you for blessing our relationship with love, laughter, and genuine friendship. We are truly blessed to have each other.