Sweet Sandwich...

Monday, November 26, 2007

My beautiful sister is 8 years younger than me. We shared a room from the day she was born. When she was about 3, and I was about 11 we had a little ritual of sorts. I'd tuck her into bed and then we'd say, "Good night.... Sweet dreams." to each other. One night, however, the exchange when a bit like this:

Lori: "Good night, Lindsay"
Lindsay: "Good night, Lori"
Lori: "Sweet dreams!"
Lindsay: "Sweet.... sandwich!"

... Silly Sis....

And thus a new tradition was born. "Sweet sandwich"... "Silly sis". I've been thinking about my own siblings and thinking about all those inside stories/random happenings that grow to hold a tender place in the Family Hall of Fame. They become a part of who we are and they help us relate to ourselves and each other. They create links and bounds that hold us to one another.

People say things like, 'you get that from your dad's side of the family" or "you said that just like your mom would have." In my family, we all have a wicked wit and I personally hold both my parents responsible for that.

I do wonder how that impacts adopted children - not just mine, but those in any situation. I started this entry by relating a story about my sister. My children will be able to develop a family identity at that level. How will they feel with respect to the unknown parents and grandparents. Lexi may, very well, laugh like her mother. But we'll never know that. Nathan may well like horses like a grandfather once did. We'll never know that either.

Tonight I'm thinking about what has defined my family and helped me feel secure in those relationships. The two things I keep returning to are "love" and "time". Good thing we've got plenty of those.