Your perception is your reality (Sisters)

They were practically twins, conceived in quick succession. They celebrated their birthdays 11 months apart.

Their experiences of the same home varied dramatically.

The younger sister was resilient, self assured and held beautiful memories of growing up.  The older sister was sensitive, introverted and thought her upbringing had been less than satisfactory.

Their choices of partners, lovers, friends and interests reflected these dramatically different internal dialogues.

The question came out of the blue, like a gust of wind.  “Why do you have this insatiable need for the approval of strangers?”

The accused answered “You will never understand”.

She was right.

Sisters always are.

© A Heart Full of Stories, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lee-Ann Mayimele and www.aheartfullofstories.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Two Sisters, Two Hearts

She saw her sister through the window.

She had to look twice because her sister was laughing.  She also gave the pig a high five.

Then, her sister came back into the house and said “He is such a loser!”

The feelings stung her hard. 

Her sister was right.  He was a loser!  A big one.  He had just gotten a third woman pregnant and had walked out on his own children. Plus, the tales of his violent ways and other affairs around town were all coming to the fore.

So, if he was such a loser, then why had her sister been laughing with him?  What were they talking about?  What was so funny?  What message did it send to him?  What did it say about her? 

The thoughts stung harder.

Her immediate reaction was to say nothing.  She was so good at that.  The ability to say nothing had served her well.  So well that no one knew about her abusive marriage of 25 years.

Then she made a decision.

She decided to close a slot in her heart.  Right in the uppermost corner.  The slot that her sister had always occupied.  She just jammed it shut.  She jammed it with anger and memories of  other indiscretions.  The combination of raw materials was very effective.  It weathered many sweet attempts at breaking and entering very well.  It just stayed shut.

Her sister is in counselling.  Something about a “distant sister”, “family torn apart”, “where did I go wrong?”

And the heart with one shut chamber is in counselling too.  Something about “having left things too long”, “drawing the line”, “creating boundaries” and “moving forward”.

Both sisters have my prayers for whole hearts.

Aluta continua, I say.  The road is long.

 

© Lee-Ann Mayimele & A Heart Full of Stories, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Lee-Ann Mayimele and www.aheartfullofstories.wordpress.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.