Play With Your Sister, I Made Her for You!

I always knew I wanted to be a mom. Even as a little kid, I loved babies. I’ve seen many pictures of tiny me holding a tiny cousin in my lap. I loved baby dolls. And as soon as I was old enough, I was babysitting. There’s just something about a warm, snuggly baby. And I’ve always felt that way. So after I got married, it was a no-brainer; kids would be in our future.

My husband and I married young compared to today’s standards, so we waited to have kids. We were married for eight years before our first daughter came along. And we were so enamored by her.

She became the center of our world, and those first few years were so much fun.

As she started to get older, I would start to do “the math.” “If I got pregnant now, the kids would be two years apart, three years apart, etc.” We always felt like we had our hands full, so we waited and waited. When we did finally add our second little babe, I was thrilled she would be a girl! Sisters, to take care of each other, love each other, play with each other.

They ended up being three years and nine months apart. There is probably no “perfect” age gap, but for us, this was perfect. Our older daughter was a wonderful little helper, and she loved loving her sister.

Well, now it’s a few years later and the good news is, they still love each other. And they will, mostly, still look to each other for entertainment, but every so often, they just can’t compromise and play nicely together. And then (said with horror), they want US to play with them instead.

And that, my friends, is when I say my most memorable catchphrase to my oldest daughter, “Play with your sister, we made her for you!”

It’s a joke, mostly, but perhaps you’ve also heard this age-old adage, “You have your first child for you, andyour second for them.”

As I mentioned before, I always wanted children, but it became imperative once our first came into our world that I gave her a sibling. I know that’s not everyone’s choice, and I respect that. But I have a sister, and my husband does as well.  

I just knew I wanted what I had growing up, a built-in best friend. A teammate when it’s the “us against our parents” years. Someone to whisper in the car with on long trips. And also, I always just wanted her to have a companion, no matter what.

So though yes, my younger daughter was an amazing gift to our entire family. I truly feel like it was the greatest gift I could give to my other child. I’m sure this love/hate relationship will continue throughout their lives, but I really hope they continue to look to each other for companionship, comfort, and friendship. Because as I said to my oldest countless times, “I made her for you!”