Seestas

Growing up with four brothers (I was smack dab in the middle with two older brothers and two younger borthers), I ALWAYS wanted a sister to hang out with. Someone to help balance out the testosterone level in the household. But, alas! there was already FIVE of us and mom wasn't supposed to have any more babies.

I remember when I was 8 years old and my mom was getting ready for a shopping trip to Honolulu and was asking me if she could bring me back something. I remember asking her to bring me back a SISTER. Well, she didn't bring me back a sister. In fact, she even investigated adopting one, but the powers that be decided for her that five was already enough children. Little did they know.

So, one day, mom announces to the Mondoy tribe that there was going to be another sibling arriving the next May. It would have to be delivered by "C" section and baby would have to come out a few weeks before the due date. Back then, there wasn't the kind of testing that would tell you ahead of time if you were having a boy or a girl. I wanted a sister soooo bad! I was in 4th grade then and 10 years old. One afternoon in May, our school principal annouces over the sound system that my mother had a baby and that it was a baby girl! My brothers and I had already picked out a name. Teresa Maureen.

By the time she was four years old, I had to leave home to go to school on another island. So, I didn't get to log in that much needed sister time that I had dreamed about. It wasn't until our adult lives when we both had little children that we were able to create those sister moments that we lost out on. And, whenever we get together, we make sure we take our "sisters" photo (we call ourselves seestas).

So, here's to you, my little sister!