Sisters. There are so many different connotations that can ride along with that word. The word sister in ancient Hebrew means, “protector that bonds and impresses.” As for my house and me, this definition rings to be oh so true. I happen to have two protectors, one younger and one older. Each has created the grooviest of memories for me to carry on into life.

Susanna is my younger gal, filled with spunk and humor; she is a faithful provider of lighthearted medicine. When down deep in the dumps, Susanna sees my hurting and will move quickly into action to raise my spirits. My older sister’s name is Levie, and she is much different. She has always been more protective of her own thoughts and feelings, but in the field of listening to others she excels. Levie is that annoying voice that forces you to see the opposing side’s view, and never automatically takes your side without proof of your worthiness of it. She has always been like a mother, being more responsible and level headed. However, when she lets loose there is no reining her back and the spirit within her shows to be overflowing with joy and silliness. Each can lead my heart to tears of joy and thankfulness when I reflect on them and our shared childhood.

So why do I share this with you? Many of you may not have quite as strong relationships with your sisters and find this to be mushy, made up garbage that either isn’t real or is a stroke of luck that I should quit bragging about. Well, I share this with you in the hopes of showing and proving to you that sisterhood is precious and that we should hold tight to and mend whatever bonds may have already been broken. My sisters and I have not always gotten along, and we have said and done ugly things to each other, but believe me, beautiful things can be made out of the dust.

Sibling relationships are some of the most enduring relationships of our lives. Whether good or bad, they stick with us throughout life and always have some way of showing back up. According to the Harvard Study of Adult Development, poorer relationships with siblings before the age of 20 result in higher risk of depression. In essence, the better we hold to these relationships and work to mend them, the better they are able to protect us emotionally. If then sisterhood creates emotional protection, and sisterhood follows you no matter how far apart you run, why fight it instead of deciding to nourish it? The source of many relational problems in the later years of life is due to a lack of attention to each other. Siblings think that once they leave the nest their sisters are simply beings that sort of float around in their peripheral, still in their lives, but not prominent, and still there to be caught up with at family events and holiday parties, but not relationships to be worried about. However, sibling relationships are just like any other in that it too needs watering and sunlight in order to flourish.

We get to know our sisters in intimate levels early on in life. Knowing one another so well helps to grow a relationship, but as time changes so do people, and sisters tend to see each other as the way they were when they were children. Developing sisterhood requires sisters to get to know each other all over again each time they change. No one appreciates being seen as the immature and ignorant child that they once were, and want their improvements to be acknowledged, maybe even praised every once in awhile.

There is so much good to be said about the sisters of the world. These intimate relationships are equally beneficial, and are more than worth the effort to hold on to or to mend. I pray more people can see and appreciate the women in their lives, see past the ugly and into the beautiful, and love them more passionately. My sisters and I were made aware of the pointlessness to hating instead of loving early on in life, and have been blessed with years of brought to tears kind of laughter and joy. Because of my sisters I am more confident in who I am, in how loved I am, and in how worthy it is to love one another. I am so thankful for the protectors that bond and impress me. I’m not at all sure how I will survive when I leave to be 1,942 miles away from the two most precious people in my life, but I do know that growing our relationships now, while I am here, has created a strength in me that will launch me into the world and into a life full of awe and wonder.