Once upon a time ago, three little girls stood like stair steps in a faded family photograph.
The oldest child was intelligent and free-spirited, a natural born leader. She grew up strong in her own right, graduated college with honors, and achieved many things. Life wasn’t always easy, but she cut her own path and learned many lessons along the way.
The middle child was creative and easy-going. She, too, did well in school and grew up strong in her own right. Her hands were blessed for making things so she enjoyed exploring her creativity and excelled at many things.
The youngest child was blessed with a deeply caring heart, but her strength was also her greatest weakness because she cared too deeply about the wrong things. Growing up in her sisters’ shadows made her overly competitive. She wanted to do things “first” even though her sisters were much older. Trying to compete with her sisters had to be flustrating because her sisters were good at their own things and refused to play competition games. Her caring nature did lead her to a good life that fullfilled her needs to nurture. She married young, raised a large family, and nurtured plants and animals.
And now the three sisters are old women and the youngest still harbors a competitive edge towards her sisters, but in her book, as the self-appointed family historian, she won and they lost because she can only define a woman’s life as she defines her own: in terms of the man they marry. Even if the marriage was extremely brief, a mere fraction of a lifetime, her sister’s personal achievements are negated to nothing in the ultimate revenge.
“Sister, wife of so&so, his work, his achievements; mother of child” with names and vital dates include.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
If you feel like you are growing up in the shadow of your sisters, step out into your own light so when you are old, you can rejoice and celebrate each other’s achievements. Each sister must choose her own path. It never was a competition.
Barnbees 