My sister and I haven’t spent one-on-one time together since we were kids until this week. Thanks to my frequent flyer miles accrued on trips to Israel, I was able to go spend a few days with her just hanging out in her adopted hometown of Washington, DC.
When we were growing up, we were often rivals instead of allies. As we entered adulthood, we began talking through our shared childhood experiences – to begin fitting our jigsaw pieces together, to mourn, and, as a sign that growth and healing took place in our lives, to laugh together. As our mom was dying four years ago, all the talking Jodi and I had done throughout the years coalesced as we were thrown into a crisis we could never have imagined or prepared for.
We packed a lot into the last few days – museums, movies, a hike and even a cooking lesson. But the best part of the whole trip was the fact that we continued the conversation that began the day she was born.