Last weekend, both my sisters were here staying with me. It was just us 3 most of the weekend, and it has been many years since the 3 of us had dinner together with no kids, and no husbands, if we have even ever done it. We had a great dinner, pretty much a tribute to Phil’s friend Jack since they were all his recipes – Spicy Shrimp, Corn Salad and white jasmine rice, with an unreasonable amount of wine.
When she left, my oldest sister Michele left me with a necklace that is a rock shaped like a heart, and she left one for Julie, and got one for herself too. It is very pretty, and it was very sweet. After so many years living in different places, the weekend was a nice reminder that my sisters are such a part of me, and the necklace was a nice reminder of the differing strengths the 3 of us have.
The funny thing is that I have been noticing much more since they left the things that I do that I get from them. Just a tone of voice, or a mannerism, and when I do it I am acutely aware that it is their voice or move, not mine. Some of them are things they do that may even bug me, and I recognize it when I do it but I am powerless to do it any other way. I suppose I probably have been doing it like this for years but am only now recognizing that it is something they do too, or else it is something they did this weekend that I only now recognized because of the time we spent together and the lack of distractions.
Either way, it was a reminder of the connections we have to our families, even when we don’t think we have them. It reinforced for me a thought I have had about my family in my fantasies about being a novel writer (so remember this is copyrighted and you can’t steal it without incurring my wrath later) and it is this – we may be different from each other, while still being quite similar, but we grow from the same place. We are 5 fingers, but we are still one hand.
mostlyjenine 
Dear Mimi, did it also occur to you when you were noting similarities to you and your sister, that the three of you have another binding link–your parents. I bet now that you’re thinking of it, you might notice that mannerism, that movement, may have come from observing the old folks when they were your age. YO
But of course, its true. We all did come here, through you. You are one and two. Ha! And even a Haiku out of it! While I am at it, you probably never read my mother’s day Haiku on someone else’s blog (am I am more the wretch for not making you go see it there) – so here it is:
Mother. Gave me life.
Long loving, nose wiping, Mom. I’m becoming you. … and glad for it, but that didn’t fit in 17 syllables. Love you.