Gratitude #10 - Sister

Painting by William Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)
My sis and I, Cabin at Island Park 1980ish

I am incredibly thankful for my one and only sister who is 9 years my junior. She is younger, but wiser, smarter, more accomplished, more well-traveled and has had three times the life experiences than me. She introduced me to hummus, Jack Johnson, Quiddler, and Panda licorice. What's not to love about that!!



We are very different. And yet in the same breath, we are strikingly similar. Like...we live apart, but chose the same color of I LOVE NYC T-shirt! Little things like that always happen. Fun surprises, reminding us of how connected we are.

I wanted to write a humorous some'in some'in about us. But humor strains my brain and I am supposed to be taking an exam right now and don't have time. So I didn't get it done. I still will someday. Meanwhile, here are the poems I did write to explain what a blessing that she is in my life.

Sisters Same and Different
By Jen Fisher

Two sisters.
Each with a different view from their window.
With different tomorrows, contrasting pasts.
Each unique in her own way
with different work,
and varying challenges.

Two sisters.
Through the chasm of miles and years,
intertwined with genes and alleles
bound through roots of noble heritage.
Their heartbeats beating similar
pulses of love and respect for one another.

Two sisters.
Strong and supportive when they should be.
Distant and reserved when they need to be.
Thankful for one another always.
The bond of sisterhood a special blessing
united in the story of family.

And here is one more little poem about us:

SHE SAYS, I SAY
An ode to the genetics vs environment paradigm.
By Jen Fisher

She says Obama. I say oh brother.
She says beer. I say root beer.
She says pro-choice. I say pro-life.
She says medicine. I say nursing.

She says tofu. I say turkey.
She says South America. I say Europe.
She says dress down. I say dress up.
She says big city. I say small town.

She says tent. I say hotel.
She says save. I say spend.
She says Indigo Girls. I say Neil Diamond.
She says scooter. I say suburban.

She says have a dog. I say have a hot dog.
She says learn world capitals. I say learn scriptures.
She says take a hike. I say take a rest.
She says "I'm a doctor." I say "I'm a pest."

She says let's travel. I say you bet.
She says let's fish. I say oh yes.
She says Boggle. I say hooray.
She says Hot Tamales. I say every day.
She says Peter Breinholt. I say yum yum.
She says family matters. I say number one .

And lastly,
She says my kids are cool.
No wonder I love her so.

I love my sister with all my connective and cardiac tissue! And I pray, pray, pray that when she completes her residency we will end up close enough to be able to get together often, laugh, go to plays and concerts, and cook for each other. And enjoy a competitive game of Boggle. Or Gogleb. Or Blegog.


Alaska cruise 2003


Medical school graduation May 2008. Congrats!
Photo credit: www.justinhackworth.com