SO TODAY IS  NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY AND AS I SAT HERE AND THOUGHT ABOUT THE DAY, I HAD SO MANY THINGS COME TO MIND.   

 Of course, as a mom, my first thoughts were my own children and their siblings.    My next thought was my own brother and sisters.

I will start with my own brother and sisters.   Growing up, I was the middle child.   I have 5 older siblings , my older brother Billy and Ricky, my older sisters Adele,  Kathy and  Dorothy .   I also have 2 younger sisters , Nancy and Gayle.  Nancy and  I have always had a close relationship, and to this day we  still do.   I have a ton of memories as kids growing up, yet as I sit here and think about Siblings Day, it is our relationship that we have now that we have grown.   My brother Billy and I were very close, and I miss him constantly.  He passed away several years ago, and I still find myself when things get crazy in my life, wanting to pick up the phone and call my big brother.   He and I were what we always referred to as the black sheep in the family. My older sisters Kathy and Dorothy and brother Ricky,  I didn’t grow up with , yet in my mind and heart, they are as much my siblings as the ones I lived with growing up.   Sadly, my brother Ricky, I never had a chance to meet before he passed away.   My older sister Kathy, and I had a chance to develop a relationship before she passed away , and I will forever be grateful for those years.   My older sister Dorothy, is still alive, and although we seldom talk, we have the type of relationship that when we do talk, it is as if we haven’t missed a beat.   I love that her and I also have had a chance in our lives to become close at one time, and that no amount of years or distance will ever change that closeness we have.  I have always thought that her and I are very much alike, and it is kind of funny, since we didn’t really know each other until I was almost grown.  Then I have a younger sister, Gayle, that I finally got to know when she was about 17 and although we don’t talk often, I love her dearly. read more