National Sister’s Day is Sunday, Aug. 6. It is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of August.
The day was created to honor the unique relationship shared by siblings. Sister’s Day has been celebrated since 1993.
I am the oldest of four siblings, three girls and one boy. Sadly, I am the only sister still living but the day reminds me how much my younger sisters meant to me. Our youngest sister passed away in July of 2015 and our middle sister passed away in December of 2020. I think of them daily.
Like most sisters, we had our share of arguments growing up. Be assured, we were always ready to go to bat for each other if someone else wanted to fight. My sisters were my best friends and even when we all grew up and moved in different directions, we stayed in touch. There was a time in our adult lives when we all lived near each other. We enjoyed going to ballgames, bowling, restaurants, barbecues and the lake together. All it took was a phone call and we gathered. Our children belonged to all of us. Thankfully, our husbands all got along well.
All three of us played on the same women’s softball team when we were younger. There were also three other siblings, the Ramsey sisters, on our team. Sadly, two of them have also passed away.
My youngest sister was in a car accident in 1994, receiving major head
injuries. She remained in a coma for 21 years. We took care of her at her home. She could not communicate with us but we always felt like she knew we were there. My middle sister passed away after a long battle with cancer. About two weeks before she died, we spent Thanksgiving together at her home in Jacksonville. I won’t go into the details, but we spent the whole night reliving our growing up years and having a few laughs and sharing our fondest memories. I have always felt sad because I promised her that Mom and I would be back the next weekend but we caught Covid and did not get to go back before she passed away. I know she understood that we did not want to add to her health issues or give it to her husband. We just did not think she would go before we had the opportunity to return. Thankfully, my brother and his wife were there with her and her husband when she passed away at her home.
The good times we all spent together are some of my fondest memories. We all enjoyed our time together including camping cabins at Hardy, visiting a state park in Knoxville, the Passion Play in Eureka Springs, boating, floating the river, bowling, golfing, Six Flags, the water slide in Jonesboro, St. Louis Zoo and many other adventures. We all enjoyed our Christmases together back at Mom’s house.
I will have to say I did not golf as well as my middle sister. I only golfed with her to be sociable. On the other hand, she did not like to shop and I will have to give her credit for spending time in the stores with me. My youngest sister seemed to enjoy everything we did together. She could make a dull event seem like the most fun thing in the world to do. We may not have liked all of the same things, but we all liked the company and the time we spent together.
We were there for each other in good times and bad times. Sisters have a bond that only siblings can feel. I miss them both every day. I do try to focus on the years we had together and my belief that we will meet again.
With all of that said, I want to remind everyone if you have a sister or sisters, make it a point to remember Sister’s Day on Sunday and do something special with them. Send a card, plan a dinner, plan a sisters’ road trip or write a letter letting her know what she means to you.
Don’t ever stop making memories. You never know when that will be all you have.
Revis Blaylock is a writer for the NEA Town Courier. She may be reached by phone at 870-763-4461 or by email at revisb@neatowncourier.com.