When Your Sister is so Far Away...

On Saturday, March 17th, my little sister had her first baby, a boy.  I have nieces and nephews from my two older brothers and I love them like they are my own, but there is something amazingly different about your sister having a baby.  When my dad called to tell me that my sister and her husband had left for the hospital, it brought tears to my eyes.  Somehow, across the miles and the distance, I could feel her pain.  Having given birth to four of my own little ones, I knew what she was going through, bit by bit, minute by minute.  

My sister and I are two years and one day apart in age.  We shared everything together growing up, even our birthdays.  I remember laying in bed talking to her late at night.  I remember making plans and dreaming about our families and our husbands and our homes.  I remember what she wanted to name her children and what she hoped her husband would look like.  I know my sister better than I know most people on this earth.  She was my first best friend. 

When I had my babies she was there to help me.  My first daughter was born with the same cowlick and freckles as my sister.  My second daughter was named after my sister and they share the same blond hair.  I feel like a little bit of my sister is with me when I look at my girls.  I was so happy when my daughters were born two years apart, because I knew they would have each other just like my sister and I had each other.  A built in best friend, someone to share your hopes and dreams with, someone who gets you, even when others don't.

So this was it, my baby sister was having her first baby.  The moment her and I had dreamt about and talked about for the past thirty years was upon her - and I was 944 miles away.

On Saturday I waited up until I had a phone call from my mom, letting me know that everything went well.  The phone call didn't come until 2:20 a.m. (our time).  My mom was waiting up at her own home, going through the same thing I was.  Neither one of us could sleep until we heard the news.  When I got the call, I cried again, but this time it wasn't for the pain I knew my sister was going through, this time it was for the joy I knew she was experiencing holding her little baby for the first time.

It's hard being so far apart, even harder now that my little nephew has come into the family.  I wish my sister was a short car ride away, but I know she and her husband are where they are supposed to be right now.  We may be far apart, but I feel like part of me is there with her, the part of me that dreamed about this moment with her, so many years ago.  I can't wait to hold my sweet little nephew and tell him what an amazing mommy he has...even though I am sure he already knows.