Family Ties

I was thinking about the estrangement of my youngest sister with my sister Patty and myself.I cannot fathom why a woman would hold a grudge for over 30 years over offences real or imagined.
I have spent several years trying to get her to love us. Asking for forgiveness for whatever I did. Never has she asked forgiveness for being the lousy nasty sister who pushed me down my Grandmother’s hallway; telling me she hated me and I didn’t belong there. Patty gave up years ago on having a relationship with her, and moved on. I didn’t. I always accepted her differences... mine she couldn’t or wouldn’t tolerate.


I cherish and revel in the differences of Patty and myself. She makes up where I lack, I connect where she lacks. She tells me the truth, and I tell her the truth. We love each other and she’s my best-friend, my secret keeper, my own personal comedian. Most importantly...A Prayer Warrior.This will be the first year I’ve gone in a very long time without seeing Patricia Ann. It makes me cry and my heart hurt.


It makes me sad to think my youngest sister has no idea who we are and the women we’ve turned out to be. She remembers two girls that she grew up with and did not like. I don’t know her likes and dislikes... Does she have hobbies, what kinda music does she like? Where’s her favorite place to escape....I know nothing.


I know she always thought I was the “weak one”, man was she ever wrong. It takes weakness to never step out in courage and strength and forgive, let go..become new. It makes me mad that she thinks she has a right to be selfish with sharing who she is, it infuriates me that she thinks nothing of us, it makes me laugh that she only calls when something out of her comfort zone happens and she needs prayer. I love my sister. I pray for her everyday. But I don’t like whoever she is today. Someday I will heal from the hurt....but today........it hurts.

Jenny, Nancy, & Patricia (C) J Dobbins 2010