Sister sister: a celebration of family bonds

*Sister Sister*

About 8 years ago, when I found out I was pregnant…
ICE wanted a boy. I wanted a girl.

At the ultrasound, my first question was about the sex of the baby.
I had the hugest smile when I heard it was a girl. ICE was a bit subdued.
But I knew he’d love her the moment he set eyes on her. And I was right. That girl has him tied up in knots.

As the pregnancy went on and I told my family I was due in June, my eldest sister said, “I hope you don’t give birth on my birthday.”
I said, “Nah,” with full confidence. My due date was a week after hers, plus we have family history on our side.

What history?

This wouldn’t be the first time we had almost “birthday mates,” but we always dodged it.
My dad said that when my mom went into labor on his birthday, he just told the baby—my younger sister—to hold on and be born on her own day. And she listened.
The same thing happened with my sister and her second daughter—born one day apart.

So you can imagine how sure I was that history would repeat itself.

Imagine my surprise when on Thursday, June 14th, I started having abdominal pains.
My sister said yet again, “Don’t give birth on my birthday ooo.”

At this point, I didn’t care. I just wanted the pain to end.
And somehow, it ended before the new day began.

And just like that, we had the first shared birthday in our family’s history.
I couldn’t have asked for a better gift for my darling Solace.

*Dear Solace @Danny:*
You share so much with your birthday mate.
You’re the one sister who calls me if we haven’t spoken in a few days and says, _“I guola m aguru”_—“I’ve been hungry for you.” Loosely, “I’ve missed you.”
That’s the same care Mama shows me at home. She’s the one who always asks how my day went.

The one big difference? Plantain.
Danny could eat every plantain in the kitchen before it even made it to the table.
Mama can’t stand them. I force her to eat them, and for a while she’d toss them under the dining table until I caught her.

Today I pray God’s continued presence over you. You’ve stepped into a season of restoration—an era where God is smiling on you and favorably disposed toward you.

*Dear Mama,*
I had the chance to attend an event with you just two days ago, and someone told me, “You’re a mini-me!”
As much as I think being a mini-me would be great, I told her, “You are YOU. Not a mini version of me.”
She was taken aback.
Then she said, “But you turned out well.”
I said, “I certainly did turn out well. But I’m also very, very sure that you will turn out far better than me.”
She turned away, and I was satisfied.

I speak over you: You will far exceed and surpass every height we’ve achieved in this life. You have favor with God and with people, and you walk in the wisdom of the just.

Happy birthday, my Sister. I love you both.

'Omar