the bond of family
Current mood: nostalgic

I race through the downpouring of rain to pick up my kids from school today. I am in a hurry because the one time I was late, my five year old was crying and worried. I make it just in time and as I pull up I see my little one waving at me wildly, her hair escaping from her hairtie and plastered to her forehead, her sweater sagging off her shoulders from the weight of her back pack. standing next to her is her big sister, staring at me with an expression of disdain that only a pre-teen can execute with such ease. they are like night and day, the younger clad in pink stripes and black mary janes, hair slicked back in a sagging pony tail with little strings of hair escaping around her face, the elder in baggy jeans and a powell peralta long sleeved t-shirt complete with baggy black zipper hoody, her hair hanging in her face, her vans untied with trailing, dirty white laces.
at home they fight and argue, pitting themselves against one another as though their livelihood depended on it and yet whenever I see them outside with other kids, at school or in the front yard of our home, they always seem to be huddled close, the eldest standing tall and awkward, the younger pressing against her while standing on one foot, her hands on her hips, her other foot thrust forward, her face a study in tough, while her big sister talks it up, leading the way with her words while her little sister backs her up with her body language. out there it is them against the world, at home it is always the older telling the younger how annoying she is, the younger telling the older to get away from her. out in the real world, the roles change and they back eachother up or seek eachother out. as I pull up today, they both spot my car and big sister registers my presence before trudging sullenly toward my car while little sister bounces and skips half a step behind, her little hand thrust out to grab onto her "arch nemesis/ best friends" backpack, to find safety and confidence through family.
something about this makes my heart feel tight...maybe because it reminds me of me and my big brother. He is the first one I ever looked up to, my first hero, my first enemy, my first friend. I recognize this relationship dynamic and I approve. It makes me more happy than they will ever know.
life may be hard when you have two mouths to feed but life would be lonely and boring without them.