Who are Your Sisters? Share Your Stories and Get a Free Book!

My sister is another writer on Gather, Nancy Spivey. She is five years younger than I am though I have often declared the opposite.
We are very different. She is a married woman with an extremely neat home and she is dedicated to her man. I am a single woman, twice divorced, who lives in condo which is always full of "stuff" - projects I am working on, books I am reading, and notebooks full of writing ideas. Twice divorced, I am definitely not interested in dedicating myself to any man right now.
In spite of our differences, Nancy has been there for me through thick and thin. And I have been there for her.
When the hairdresser screwed up her hair on the night of the senior prom, I styled it and nobody ever knew that she was in tears a few hours before the dance. When I got married, she was one of the bridesmaids. When I got divorced, she empathized and was there through my tears. We rejoiced through the births of our wonderful children. We have been through so much!
There is no-one else on earth who knows me quite like Nancy does. Because of our family background, she understands that I hate violence just as she does. We can anticipate each others' thoughts and words.
I am so grateful for Nancy! Without her my life would have been infinitely duller and less fun. We love to reminisce about the time we went out as grown women and tried on prom dresses at a local department store. Prom dresses are not made for full-figured women of a certain age as we quickly discovered. We laughed so hard in the dressing room that I thought we'd get escorted out of the store.
I honestly feel sorry for those who do not have sisters. They are best friends and close relatives all rolled into one.

Coming from a large family and living in a remote part of the country, my sisters were my best friends. Every day, we created make-believe worlds, played board games, and rode our bikes for miles across bumpy country roads.
Now, we all lead separate lives miles away. But we all treasure the memories we carry.

My sisters - oh I have so very many but let me boil it down and see the sweet stuff that pops up - Ok, there's my friend, Debbie H. I met her here on Gather but have never seen her face to face. She and I exchange emails each and every day. She is a shrimper working on a boat in Maine. I am on the opposite coast. We exchange plants and other gifts.

My sister, Tanya. She is a beautiful artist who grew up down on the bayous with me. Her work speaks volumes about who she is and her conversations daily tell me about what's going on in her inner galleries.

My sister, Maureen Sullivan is another Gather sister. She and I hit it off when I first joined Gather and she's the reason I am still on here.

My sisters, Mona and Krista Dunn - other Gatherites I've never had the pleasure to meet in person but who understand me and my eccentricities. They are a daily reminder that women dont' have to be related to you to be sisters - we are all sisters if we communicate and hold a special bond with one another.

Thank you. I hope I win a copy of the book. Salud.

I'd have to say that a lot of my "sisters" are those that are on Gather. Before Gtaher, I was nothing. I may still be nothing but at least I'm starting to come out of my shell.

I have sisters that have been through think and thin with me litereally and figuratively. Mary lives in Georgia and we met in 1996 and Jayme lives an hour away from me in Pa. I have know Jayme since 1994. These two women are gems in their own right and am so glad to have them in my life.

As I do not have any real "sisters," my "sisters" would be my close girlfriends who I share my life stories with. Chatting over coffee, IM, cell phone conversations, and email I am lucky to have friends to share my life with :)

I also came from a large family. I had 6 sisters and four brothers. My sisters were important because they were an insight into the female world. They taught me how to interact with women and how to understand the female prospective. They were also very helpful in comforting me as I was the youngest of the family.

Sisters are every boy's nightmare yet they are every man's friend.

It's all the ladies that I befriend. Sisters need to stick together!

I am an only child and grandchild so I only have a small blood-relative family unit. However, I am very lucky to have a large extended family with friends of various backgrounds, ages, and interests. I have three special female friends who will always be my true "sisters". We have shared many life experiences and I know that I will always have them in my life.

My sister has been my sister for more than twenty years. She has seen me through all my life's ups and downs. A divorce, fifteen major surgeries, raising our teenagers, and now my new marriage these are only some of the highlights. She intuitively knows when something is not right in Apryl Land as she affectionately calls my world and I seem to have the same sixth sense when it comes to her. Last year I wrote a poem about the loss of a friend, I didn't know where it came from, that evening she called to tell me she had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. My life came to full attention and I did everything I could to help build her strength for the fight I knew she was in for. She survived and The Doctors have said they are 99% sure they got all the cancer. I can't imagine what my life would be like without her. Gail has always been a knitter, I crochet. We celebrated her new lease on life by learning each others special craft. She learned crocheting, I learned to knit. Now we discuss our latest projects along with my latest poems and all our lifes ups and downs. I could write a book about my dear friend who has become my sister. Neither of us have blood sisters, but we are sisters.

Gather is a great place for meeting sisters.... I am so very fortunate to have found a whole bunch of them here.

I have no sisters, but the first woman who came to mind is my mother. She has been there by my side through good and bad, tears and laughter.

Well my sisters are both women and in some cases, men.

I grew up mainly tomboy, with my two brothers being closer to me than my sister. I llearned how to deal with the opposite sex before I knew how to handle my own emotions! I looked up to my oldest brother in a hero-like way, wanting to be like him. My other brother and I were often at eachother's throats, but could still spend evenings watching the sun set and writing & sharing together until the sun rose again. I learned alot about myself and others around me during those times.

my bio sis and I didn't really click until I was an adult having children of my own. Now I have someone to share the teenage "angst" years with, even tho' our views on other issues clash constantly.

My best friends since gradeschool are still around to make me laugh--the female ones, anyways. And cheering up can sometimes be the hardest task for any sister to accomplish. My other bestfriend since we were 16, is the one I would call sister-friend any and every day, and would give just about anything to help her--just like we've always done for eachother.

I may not have alot of friends, but the sisters I do have, are ones i can coujnt on.

I have 3 "sisters" on gather. Apryl L. who I have know for around 15 years, Amanda D.
who I have know for 26 years and Audrey F. who I met last year on gather and talk to on the phone once a week. I wasn't blessed with any sisters, but I have been blessed with chosen sisters throughout the years. I think a "sister" is someone that loves you as unconditionally as possible even though you get mad or don't speak for awhile. You listen and support one another. You laugh and cry together. I love to knit and would love this book, but if you don't pick me then any of the wonderful women on gather is find with me. There are many women on here that have been a blessing in my life over the last year and I can't possibly list them all. If you find just one "sister" in life you are blessed. I have found several so, thank you for reminding me how truly blessed I am.

As an only child my 4 "sisters" have always been friends that I call sisters.

I have my sister Rose who is younger then me but acts like my mother hen and has been my sister for 6 years and when I'm sad, fixes me food and then sits and tells me dirty jokes until I'm laughing my head off.....she could easily be a comedian she is that funny!

I have my Tori who has been my sister for close to 20 years and who always make me laugh when I'm sad by tossing one of her kittens on my lap and says, "Here have you a Kit Kat fix" and it always makes me smile.

There is my sister Linda who had been my sister for close to six years now and we both make each other laugh when we're sad and when we're happy, we're the loud ones in the corner booth joking about out husbands. We both love to eat and never feel ashamed in front of each other if one of us wants thirds or even fourth servings, we just roll our eyes at each other and go get the food...LOL.

Then there is my sister Yvonne who has been by my side since I was about 12 years old, and her being a couple of years older then me she has taken me under her wing from day one in grade school.....and has taught me many things, good and bad and what forgiveness is and what it means to love unconditionally.
And when I'm sad she will sit at her kitchen table with me and feed me cup after cup of hot tea with honey and tell me funny stories about her college days, or remind me of funny things that have happened to us as we grew up, that have me cracking up in seconds.....all she has to do is twist her glasses sideways on her face and act like she's loony and I instantly know what she's referring to, or simply say "Sally" and again I know what she is thinking and we both crack up.

My sisters are precious to me and without their love, encouragement, and support I would be like a ball of yarn all unwound and twisted up and tied in knots!
I love my sisters!!!

i loved this book, and it made me cherish the "sisters" that i have. we are scattered all over the world, but can still connect via email and phone. i feel very lucky! i have a REAL sister, and she is a treasure to me. life is wonderful!!

i'll feature this, in bookwomen.gather.com

My three sisters have always been precious to me. Our mother was mentally illand we had to stick together. I realized when I left home that my truest family bond was with my oldest sister. When things were difficult at home and my mother's illness was at its worst during our teenage years, my sister and I were like little puppies who found comfort being with each other. Because we loved each other, we believed we were lovable, no matter what my mother did.

Although we had the usual sibling arguments, we both knew that no matter what, we loved each other. As we didn't get this from our parents, who were both focused on my mother's illness, we had to nurture each other.

My sister and I have been friends for over fifty years and we still talk every day, even though she lives two states away. One of the most loving things my husband has ever done was to buy my sister a cell phone. He put her on our account so she could afford to talk to me and our calls would be free. One day she called and he answered, so she asked him, "Do you mind that Elizabeth and I talk so much? I would feel terrible if it interfered with your life."

He answered, "Oh, I think it's great. Otherwise she'd expect to talk about all those things with me."

Truly, we are each other's champions. I know everything about her life and she knows everything about mine. When she got divorced and when I got cancer (about equivalent on the emotional scale from what I've experienced), we backed each other up totally.

Ironically, except for our childhood and friendship with each other, we have nothing in common. It doesn't matter. Funny, though, the other day my husband found out that his two sisters talk every day too and they live in different countries!

And I didn't even talk about my three best friends, whom I consider my 'chosen' sisters.

I found these comments interesting.
I would love to read this book but after you read my comment here you may find me rather undeserving.

Before I came to Gather, I had only one sister and a woman who lives across the street that used to be my confidant. My blood sister I will cherish past the end of my days, and the lady across the street? Well I suppose she means well but like the other women in my neighborhood, she holds herself a bit above me now that I am divorced. Not for her, but to other women where I live, I became a threat (or worse, someone to be shunned by my chinese neighbors next door. The differences in our cultures sometimes sicken me.) I did not want my own husband, why would they think I would want theirs?

Going back a long way further...the reason I came to be 51 years old with no close women friends is because of other women stabbing me in the back for most of my life.
As a beautiful young woman, every time my girlfriends had a new man, I would be told at some point by the angered friend, that her boyfriend wanted to sleep with me. I did NOT comply. But each time (and there were Many times) the women would end up bedding MY boyfriend to get even. I was being punished each time for the man's lack of sense, telling his girlfriend he lusted after me. Because of these rude little acts I began moving away from the women in my life. As I grew into adulthood my friends were men, along with my blood sister and our gay friend Janet (who I forgot to mention earlier) who was my friend since childhood, and never once approached me for anything other than friendship, thankfully.

THEN LAST MARCH I JOINED GATHER.....
And suddenly I was growing relationships, True, Trusting Friendships with women for the first time in my life. There are many here I love. As you say, like sisters. Witnesses to each others trials, tribulations and joys of life. Men and women alike who fuel my passion for writing, and seem to accept me for what I am, and encourage me to reach for what I want to be. I cannot imagine what my life would be without them. And I don't think I would want to

Mine is my Mum , she is now 89 and has Alzheimer's , she isn't too bad yet and on a drug called Aracept to slow things down , Mum and Dad still livein their own home , she has a lot to cope with as she watches Dad failing more each day and knows that she is following on , My mum is my strength , In all of my 65 years on this earth I have never had a falling out with my Mum , She is beautiful in looks aand in nature , she is a brilliant Mum , gran and great gran , I wish everyone could have a Mum like mine , xx

I have many "sisters" in many aspects of the word. I have my bio sister, 10 years younger, who has been our little pain in the butt since day one but we still love her! LOL My other two "sisters", best friends, have been with me for ages. Linda, my best friend since age 4, and Terri, my soul sister that I met in college. Somehow my life would be incomplete without these ladies, all 3 of them. Of course I have a different "sisterhood" with my daughters. While I'm always "mom", we sometimes allow the barriers of motherhood to go down so I am also a friend. I'm lucky enough to have 2 beautiful daughters to share "sisterhood" with also.

Sisters come in all shapes and sizes, all nationalities and mind sets. Some are with us for a short time, others stay with us throughout our lives. For me, my own sister is my rock. I can tell her anything and she will be there to support me.

My other sisters are my adopted family. They are friends, coworkers, neighbors, even just people you bump into in unusual ways and find some connection with. They sustain your dreams and give you the extra bit of spark you need to keep on going when things get tough or you just need to look at the world as a better place. They are mentors who provide a great example of how to achieve, and they are young girls who need your guidance. The group of sisters is never the same at any given time, but everyone has their "of the moment" group. I don't know many women without their special girlfriends and special times together.

Right now my sisters incude my own natural born sister, my best friend who's been with me from kindergarten to college, an online friend whose emails make my day, my favorite reader (who I share all my favorite books with), and my artsy friend, a woman much younger than me who inspired me to try my hand at writing short stories again. Each has a special place in my heart.

I am an only girl, so my sisters are the girls I've met and "connected " with down through the years. Ruthie, from 8th grade and I used to write letters to each other(in class) pretending we were married with children. Little did we know what our lives would bring and how far apart we would be in the end. She now lives in Northern Illinois and I live in southern Missouri.
I also have a " big " sister, JoAnn. I met her in a previous life when I lived in Ohio(where I was born and returned to when my husband and I separated). Now we both are in Missouri and we have a special friendship that goes beyond sisterhood.
I have several others, but each one is as important as the others. I would be helplees and hopeless without them.

My sisters are my sisters of heart. Darlene, Glenda, Sarah, LeeAnne has all been there when I needed to talk helping me make our foundation grow more and more. They know when I am upset that it is what I have been through as a child. Each one can talk to me and comfort me in their own way. I know they will never judge me for the way I think or how I show my anger. Maria, has been my sister for many years. This is the one I can talk to about anything. She begged me to leave my ex husband knowing he was abusing me. She came and got me begging me to pack my things and go. Without her I don't know where I would be today.

My sisters share my pain and I theirs. My mom is probably my closest sister. She has been there for almost every up and down I've faced throughout my life. She's seen me and helped me grow into the strong woman I am today and we share a bond where I can talk to her as a sister and not as my parent. My sister, Beth, I've known since high school. We share so many common interests and can really talk, associate, sympathize, and debate on anything from men and relationships to philosophy, religion and politics. It's like a mensa meeting with martinis and lots of laughs. My sister, Melanie, is a sister in pain. We have the same man intertwined in our pasts and were once enemies. Once we exposed the man for the lying cheat he was, we bonded from our similarities and became good friends. Now, we can confide in one another for sound advice and if nothing else a sympathetic ear or shoulder to cry on.

I wasn't blessed with sisters in my family but am overjoyed to have such great sisters along my life's journey.

I have two biological sisters younger than me. While we share a background and blood we are not close. It just worked out that way I guess. BUT I have many sisters of the heart! Beth, Terri, Darlene, and so many others.
Beth was there to help me through when I had to deal with my mother's illness and the care of my grandchildren. I helped her in dealing with her son going for a second term in Iraq and her mother's health issues. We shared laughter and tears and gave one another support.
Terri whom I have never met in person who has always seemed to know just the right thing to say to remind me of who I am.
Darlene who was there to show me kindness when i was being so unkind to myself.

My sisters and I help each other in many ways, some ways so subtle we don't even realize it.
And we laugh! We share our humor!

I am so thankful to have them in my life.

My sisters are too many to be count. They are all the women in the world with whom I have come in contact with. Some are very rich; others, come form the academic world. Some are poor and ignorant and lived on the outskirt of my hometown in Ecuador. But we all share a profound sense of what it means to be a woman. We laugh together , cry in each other shoulder. Each of us know that these special women are there for us, day or night, whenever we need support we know were to find it. We are sisters!

My first sister is my blood sister, Jo. She and I had our differences as children, but even then (though I "hated" her at the time) she was my biggest fan. She thought I was beautiful and talented and smart and all the things a sister should think... and I was seriously envious of her. Then we both grew up, and for my entire adult life, Jo has been my rock. If I were to find myself broke, she would go into hock and sell the clothes off her back so that I would not have to go without anything. It is mutual now, though it wasn't always. When our mother died, it really cemented that bond and there is absolutely nothing in the world that I wouldn't do for her.

Then there is Paula, a dear friend who lives in VA and is my biggest fan outside my family. She and I connected years ago when she was a client at the place where I worked, and we have not lost that connection.

Chrissy is a former co-worker. I knew her for only a short while but she is someone I miss every single day. She walked into my life and became family... and should have hooked up with my brother, but darn it, she didn't and now he's married to someone else!

And last certainly not least is my dear niece, AJ. She is, without a doubt, the most passionate, loving, unselfish, open-minded, and mature woman I have ever met. She will be 23 in a couple of weeks, so that is saying a lot. I used to think of her as the daughter I never had, but when she grew up she became my sister.

And then, of course, there are a few women I've met here on Gather with whom I connected through shared experiences, shared tastes, etc. I hope that you know who you are... (some of you have beaten me to these comments...) if you even wonder, you probably are. I may not know you well, but once I truly connect with someone, it is for life.

I have the best sisters in the entire world.
My junior year of high school, my mother and I came across a flyer about hosting exchange students. We applied and two weeks later, Carolin came into our home and our lives. It was a new experience, having a German girl live with us for a year, but she became a powerful part of my life. She and I love talking about video games and sitting in the coffeeshop talking and reading.
The following year, my family decided we would host once more. That fall, Sabine came into our home. It was a rocky start, and at one point we weren't even sure if she was going to stay in our home the whole year, because of the problems. However, as the year progressed, she and I became so close we were inseperable. We love music, boys, Taco Bell, and shopping.
I've gotten the opportunity to spend time in Germany visiting Carolin, and Caro has returned twice to visit us in America. Sabine and I contact each other frequently.

Though so few people understand the bond I have with these girls, how they are truly my sisters, they really are. I can't imagine life without them. They are a part of my family, and a part of my world. I love them immensely.

actually one is driving over 400 miles this weekend to help with Mom's effects... and she is over 60.

Lot of folks have cared this year on Gather though, both sexes.

I have no 'blood' sisters, but I had sisters that shook my soul so much, I wrote two books on them. Both were dear friends. The first I became her caregiver, after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. The other was an Online friend who helped me through a time in my life I will never forget.

Both women brought the good out in me and made me see the bad to change it to good. What could be better than that? To make a person grow, even if they didn't want to.

Both books are published: "Fears Flutterby" and "Lifeline Online"

I woul love to read your book, "The Friday Night Knitting Club".
Thank you in advance.

I have three "blood" sisters all of whom I admire, respect and adore. They live on the other side of the country from me, though and so we've missed out on a lot in each other's lives.

My best friend, Lisa, is my sister of the heart. We know each other so well! We never have to preface a comment with, "don't take this the wrong way. . ." or pre-empt any comment, thought, dream, complaint, blessing or joy - we know that we can share who and what we are without judgment. We are very different people from almost completely opposite backgrounds and life experiences. Yet we feel as if we have always been in each others' lives.

I also was part of a women's covenant discipleship group for 7 years. We met every Friday night (with very few exceptions). Our children grew up, our careers changed, our faith journeys were long and winding throughout that time. We are not an official group any more, but we will always be covenant sisters. I know that even to this day (some 2 years after we "disbanded") I can pick up the phone any hour of the day or night and they will be there for me in any way I need them.

I am also currently in a covenant group that meets irregularly and we are attempting to find out what works for us in terms of meeting format, etc. We feel the same way about each other after only a few months as those of us in my former group felt.

Of course, my daughter and I have always had a certain type of sisterhood, ever since she was born. We have always been close and now that she's married, we have even more in common to share. She's wise beyond her years and a wonderful young woman.

The only sisters I have are my three childhood friends Astrid, Karen and Theresa. We went to daycare and elementary school together. In eight grade we went our separate ways as some of us changed schools. Astrid and Karen are twins, but Theresa and I lived next door and as children we were inseparable. We have had lots of good times, a few bad, and no matter what we have stood together as sisters.

We now live in four different countries: Denmark, England, New Zealand and the U.S., but whenever we are together it feels like we have never been a part. We have spent many Christmas breaks together, but this year we are scattered all over the world. Nowadays we have Skype, and it is amazing how we can make a four-way call and chat like we were sitting in the same room.

These are my sisters, they have always been there and they always will. We know each others good and bad sides, and we have seen eachother through life, deaths, births, bad relationships, marriage and more.

I have no doubt that wherever we are, we will always be like sisters.

I grew up with 5 brothers, no sisters. My life is full of sisters now. Sisters-in-law, cousins, and wonderful girlfriends! Through my daughter I was lucky to become close friends with some of her friend's moms. We have as much fun together as our daughters do, and I think of them as my sisters. When our daughters were young we would share child care, car pooling, discuss challenges of the teen years. Now that our daughters are in college we get together for fun and really enjoy each other's company.

Sisters are those people that you can count on when things get rough, no matter how long it's been since you've seen each other! I have so many sisters who have helped me through the rough patches of life. My friend Laura and I are sisters. Although we both lead very busy lives and don't get to see each other often, we do make a point to get together each year to make Christmas cookies. We spend the day baking, laughing, and catching up. Although we try to see each other at least once a month in addition to that, this has become a very special tradition for us.

I have a half sister that is 7 1/2 years younger than me , we keep in touch but are not espeicially close.My sister of the heart lives across the country from me. We used to live a mile apart , we met when I was 14 and she was 12. We have been friends since 1972 and have supported each other through a lot of hard times and good times .She still has not gotten in to email much so she phones and we talk for an hour or so every month or 2.

I have two sisters that I am very close to, and always have been. I also have a friend who is like a sister to me, and I am glad, as my biological sisters live farther away. But we email and call and spend hours when we are together talking over our fascinatingly dysfunctional family. We're talking of writing a book, we've had so much drama in our lives!
Anyway, am glad for sisterhood, it's a precious and not always understood dynamic.

I have 2 sisters, one blood and one not. My first sister and I do not always get along with each other, but we are there for each other in tough times. We try to get along it just doesn't always happen. She does affect my life. When I decided to move to Florida, she came along which I am sure made life easier for that first year.

My other sister is my best friend. We don't always keep in touch as much as we would like to, but she is the one person who I can truly be silly with. She will always be able to put a smile on my face and is someone that I can always count on. We have been through so much together and I truly love her. We have spent many years laughing at each other and supporting each other.

My sister is Katie D. (calimama.gather.com), who is always there when I need her no matter how long it has been since she's heard from me, who always believes in me and cheers me on, and who always accepts me for who I am, whether I'm being acceptable or not at the time. I met Katie online, in a mailing list for adults with Attention Deficit Disorder, and we've only met "in real life" twice during a trip she made from San Diego up to San Jose when we lived in California, but she's my dearest and best friend, and my biggest fan (outside of Hubby, and now that I think of it, sometimes even taking Hubby into account). Everyone needs a biggest fan. :-)

What I really want to say, is that sisters don't ever leave you. They can travel hundreds of miles away or even not communicate for years, but they are there. Like my friend Kat says "heart sisters."
I figure God couldn't have possible put us all in one blood family, so he spread us around and gave us the lovely task of finding each other through the years.
You know when you find one, I have always know. Its like this hand reaches out and grabs your heart and never lets go. It doesn't matter if you get mad at each other, have different religious beliefs,if your family doesn't like them, or the man you married, that hand never lets go.
I don't think my world could ever be the same without mine.
I have one sibling sister, my big sister Jan, who is 13 years older than me, so like me yet so not like me, we clash and agree clash and agree, but she is always there for me and I for her.
I have my neice, Julie( my sisters daughter) who is my soul sister. We are only five years apart in age and have grown up together.
Two that I found in high school,who by ALL rights ARE family to the bone, Betty and KAT. We spent so much time together in the teenage years and beyond that it just did not matter that life took us all in very different directions. I treasure every moment I have with them, good, bad, happy or sad to the point of tears, or even peeing my pants in unabashed laughter! 30 something years of whatever life has given us, different as colored crayons, but outta the same box.
My seed sisters, Colette and Kristy, we three noodle ladies, we met in 2005 at a garden festival. Colette and Kristy we already friends for years, and we met and stuck like glue. When we all get together at the gardening events the first words are "Okay the family is all here now." Its like it was always that way, like they had always been there just waiting to be found, and find me. Our husbands even all get along..its spooky!
Tommie at work, well I think it may be the whole reason for me to have taken this job I am now at, we were sisters at hello, and I honestly didnt think I could ever meet anyone that I could share anything with like those who had grown up with me, but there she was, holding out her hand.
I must mention four more, all found through the computer.
First Lynn, who I also know in real life now through gardening also, we chat almost eveyday via email, a great source of support back and forth, when we met for the first time, afterwards in emails it was like"wow, we met and we are still friends" yup, and I think it will stay that way.
Kathy,who I met on line in a chat around native american indian and spiritual beliefs in 2002 and still communicate and send cards and letters, I hope to meet her someday, she has been a deep source of inspiration and understanding of my spiritual nature.
Wendy, one of my newest sisters from Canada, who I met on a gardening forum, we spend hours on messenger talking bout our lives, and we trade seeds. We are deffinately cut from the same cloth and our lives are almost parellel in the path. Another are you sure we aren't twins!?
And then there's Sonia here on Gather, we always seem to find each other in the cyberworld kitchen and have been conversing for YEARS, and I have her cookbook.
Given more time( and effort) I think I could add Duckie to this sister list, my heart always does a little dance when she posts to my articles and pics here on Gather.
I know this is LONG, but if I mention one I need to mention all, cause they are all right here with me, holding hands to hearts.

My sister is 15 years older than me, so you might think that we aren't very close. But that really couldn't be farther from the truth. My sister is a wonderful person, a great friend, and an inspiration to me. She's the only one I know who I would trust to raise my children should my husband and I not make it to see them grow up.

We also have two brothers, but the bond with our brothers is not nearly as strong as the bond that we have with each other. Perhaps it's that we're both women, or perhaps it's just a coincidence, but either way....we are closer than any brothers could ever be.

I have 4 sisters, three biological. My fourth sister is in fact my sister-in-law. Since she and my brother were married, we all swore that should they ever get divorced, we were keeping HER. Unfortunately, my brother passed away three years ago, but we still have our dear Karen. She, and my other sisters, all older, have gotten me through life's rough patches. Although we are scattered all over the country, they all were there for me within 24 hours when my husband died 7 years ago, and they all dearly love my Bill. Sue, the oldest, gave up her life in Alabama to care for my sick father, Lorena, the next, has been my foremost confidante for decades, and Dixie, the free spirit of the bunch(barring me), is always good for a laugh. I don't know what I would do without those gals.

I have two great friends from college that are my sisters. Holly and Tash tell me the truth even when it's not what I want to hear. :) I know I'll always be able to count on them!

I'm another only child, and I cherish the sisters I have found in my life. Thank you for this opportunity to brag on how wonderful they are!

Sherry B...my sister from junior high school. We shared fun, makeup, boyfriends, clothes, whatever we had. If not for her I would have been the lonely dweeb in my class. I WAS the lonely dweeb in my class, but she made me feel like I wasn't.

Renate W...my sister from high school. We both transferred into our high school in November, and both of us being new and in the same publications class, a kinship was born. When my mom died I called her and cried, and she came and literally held me up during the funeral. At the last tally I realized she and I have been friends for 30 years (!!)

Terri M...my sister from College. She has known the absolute worst of me, and the best of me. She has seen all of that, and been there for me. She lives across the country now, but we try to see each other when we're in each other's part of the country. We write and email, and I cherish our closeness.

Dorothy N...my dear sister, also from college, who recently died of cancer. She exemplified what a Christian should be...and helped me through many challenges of faith. She never wavered from what she believed in, or how good she treated people, or how much she believed in the good in them. Her life was full of hardship, she faced so many health problems, and at every turn she had difficulties and faced them with grace. And when I could help her, she kept trying to make me feel great, even though she was the one who handled so much, triumphed through so much. I miss her so much!

Julie L...my friend, my sister, my mentor, my conscience...my quilting buddy! We worked together for a while, and even though she has retired and moved out of state, we talk two or three times a week. She is so very dear to me.

Barbie L...my sista...my diva friend, she doesn't realize how truly wonderful she is. She 'adopted' me when she came to work here, and her joi d' vive is such a breath of fresh air. She took a job out of state, but every time I talk to her, I feel refreshed and happy.

Michelle C...my gather twin, my silly sister! This girl has faced so much in her young life with her health problems. I look forward to everything she writes, and learning more about her and her family. She has a glow that can be seen through the gather screen!!

Trish A....my sister in Kentucky!!! We found each other on Gather, but we found out we actually went to the same college, knew the same folks, loved the same people. I worry about her health too. She has such a spirit for helping people, check out her playwriting about Breast Cancer.

I am so lucky to have these ladies in my life! I'll gladly brag about them anytime, to anyone. Thinking about how much I love them has made me cry, so now I have to go write each one and tell them how much I appreciate them. thank you again, Gather.

wow
this sounds like a fantastic read
i have one blood sister
but a few other "sisters"
because of them i do think my life is different

I feel very lucky to have my two sisters that I do have. I have not been fortunate to have sister in laws that shared any of the same interests as I do.

However, I do have a special sister. Her name is Mary. She is my oldest sister and has been a special part of my life since I can every remember. As a child Mary took special time with me, she would make me paper dolls out of notebook paper, as well as various clothes for them out of notebook paper.

When I was very small, I burned my foot on an old fashioned vaporizer and had to sit my foot in Dreft once it became infected. She went to the store and bought me pink snowball cakes, I dropped mine in my foot soak. But alas, she gave me hers.

As we grew, she married and had three boys. Once she went to work, she would buy me Seventeen Magazines and various other teen magazines that I had to keep hidden as my Dad felt they were too "wordly".

Then as I became a married woman with children, I could call her and talk to her about any problem as I still can. As a matter of fact, she was my only family member that attended my wedding. I went through a very angry divorce 10 years ago and she helped me get through that just from her encouragement.

I did remarry 8 years ago and she was my maid of honor at that wedding. She stood there with me and has been there for me every step of the way through this rocky marriage. I can go to her and ask her for anything, advice, guidance and she has never denied me anything.

I feel so very lucky to have her as a sister. She has truly blessed my life. As well as being a wonderful sister, she is a wonderful mother to her three sons and a wonderful daughter to my parents. In my eyes, she is a number one person all the way around.

Here I go rambling on and on about a very special person in my life.

I have no blood sisters but I have a handful of carefully selected, close friends that I call "my sisters". These amazing ladies and I share so much in common. We are there to pick each other up when times are tough. We help each other when there is no where else to turn. My "sisters" have helped me through a horrendous divorce, encouraged me when my relationship with my biological mother got ugly, and when I lost my dream of being a mother. When times are good, I can count on them to find a few laughs, share what they have, and feel the comfort of their love. They are the best "sisters" this girl could ever have!

I have 3 blood sisters, all of whom rock, and all for different reasons. We share a love of music engendered by our mother, who made us hold hands at the kitchen table until we stopped fighting and found common ground. Lynne is 5 years older, Jane is 5 years younger, and Sue is 5 years after Jane. What a span. I could call any one of them at 3 am, and they would be on the next plane to St. Louis. We still get together on a regular basis over holidays and get out the instruments, Violin, Cello, Flute, Piano and play classical music, and sometimes gospel (for my youngest sister.)
They inspired me, confused me, upheld me, held me, and threw kleenex boxes at my head if I acted stupid!

But Real World Sisters? I am Fatly Rich in them, both male and female--so I am blessed indeed. We only have to remember how we need to be treated to find someone who needs to be treated the same way. Respect, understanding, compassion, faith, hope, and love. Here is my tribute to my most loyal Heart Sisters. Louanne, Sharon, Candy and Kerri. Stacey, Jana, Susan, & Dorothy (to name just a few.)

Heart Sisters

They meet you for Cuervo, Salsa & Chips,

justify adding inches to already big hips.

Some sip a single drink, frozen, pale green,

and some double shoot Poor Jose, sight unseen.

They dis and discuss a lawyer's opinion,

or new fingernail shades of purple-vermillion.



They do all the critical letters with you--

whatever it takes to help you move through:

PhD, GED,

DUI, DOA,

IRS, NSF,

OT, and Payday.



A new pair of jeans, new 'do, or high heels,

stood down, or stood up, we know just how she feels.

The doctor's diagnosis,

oroncologist's prognosis;

or, what the principal said,

or, whose Uncle is dead?



All-afternoon, lazy book-sharing days,

elementary concerts, and high school plays,

emergency, frantic mall shopping trips,

camping, walking, concerts, chic flicks.

Money—with no questions asked—to be loaned.

Which baby-faced child came home totally stoned.



A family party? They come—hours before;

to clean up, or set up, and to cook's not a chore.

Til the last song is sung, the last dish is washed,

the last drink is done, the last relative tossed.

They all know your parents, what's not to like?

Or, they help you forge the pure silver spike.



They're holding your hand when you find a lump.

Drive getaway cars, when you leave the chump.

Cry with you, laughing--and laugh hopeful tears.

A child in Iraq? They share unknowable fears.

Take you to the hospital, pick you up, or stay

when the children are busy or the husband's away.



Each and every most moving event in our world:

Childbirth and death, a marriage unfurled,

When the phone shrills us awake in the darkness at 2,

we reach for our jeans, cause we know what to do.



We be there.

Wilka (Nov, 07)

to describe my sister would take to long and not enough space or time. She's one person who has gone through so much and done so much. She has survived a near ... well you get what I mean if you don't be happy. Thats the scariest thing to have to go through once in your life when it happens or rather comes close to happening twice you learn to appreciate especially the really annoying stuff! She my ony one and Ilove her for that.

I have one particular "sister" who was also my editor for a time. Susan challenged me to become a real writer, to learn professional style, to write within a set format and most of all to believe in myself. While we shared work experiences in adjacent cubicles, we also talked about our lives, our kids, our parents and our dreams. We laughed, together, dieted together, and supported each other during times of family crisis. I would bring her flowers from the corn some days to just to cheer her up and she would always make sure my coffee-fix was satisfied.

I have five brothers and no sisters to share my or my clothes with, but life has dealt me some pretty amazing stand-ins, who I hold even more closely to my heart simply because they choose to love me and aren't obligated by blood.

There are my best friends Stacy and Diedra----------we've been friends since elementary school. They've seen me throgh braces, pimples, first dates, first kisses, first loves, first broken hearts, marriage, kids, turning thirty--you name it. At twenty one, when I had my first heart attack, it was they who sat in the icu waiting area, praying with my family for four weeks, dying a little themselves every day as the doctors explained how I was dying. If that isn't true sisterhood I don't know what is.

There's my best friend and ex-sister-in-law, Tracy, who if I had to choose would be kept over my brother! lol She's my shopping queen. She's also the one who shows up at the funeral home to hold my hand until closing time when I lose a loved one. It's also at her mom's where we can go pile up and act like teenagers again, somewhat reliving our misguided youths! lol

There's my Crystal that I've also had since highschool. She's the one with whom I share my passion for horses and all things western. She's my kindred spirit from the days when the west was still wild and it is with her, that I do all my homey getting back to the basics of life type things.

The internet is a vast and often fascinating place. From here at gather I broadened my sisterhood heart and had it touched with great love.

There's Faith who makes me see rationally when I'm ranting and over the deep end! lol She's talked me through rough spot in my marriage and laughed with me over the antics of my kids. Although I've never touched her hand in person she touches my heart daily, and my day is not complete if I haven't heard from her.

There are Jill and Bridget who are my weight loss buddies, my inspiration and my constant nagging conscience! They've seen me through a year of weight loss and walked the walk with me, and have even signed on to journey with me again throughout this new year. They keep me sane, they make me laugh, and they hold my secrets and truths as dear as they do their own.

And last but not least, there is Susan, with whom I share my womanhood and my spirituality. It is Susan that "gets it" that I see myself as a princess and acknowledges that I am such on a regular basis! lol It's Susan who relates to my "I am woman, hear me roar" mentality, and she who doesn't shy away and run when I speak of Jesus, or insite, ghosts, gobblins, or ESP. She gets it, and whether she means it or not, she always makes it seem okay to be who I am and possess such a cookey side.
For all of these sisters of my heart, I give praise to God every day, for without each of them my world would be dark and lonely. When I find myself lost, struggling along Life's Highway, trying to find my way, they are the ever beckoning lights, leading me home again. To each of them I give thanks and much love.

I love my biological sister in a unique way. We have the same memories and couldn't be closer.
I also have a circle of sisters, including my prayer cenacle. Cenacle sisters range in ages, but we share faith, celebrate our joys, comfort one another in times of mourning and generally support each other.
I have another group of 3 sisters whose birthdays are all within 10 days of mine. We have known each other for about 35 years. We have married, baptised, buried, and shared every significant event in our lives.
My other sister is my closest friend of 45 years. This is the sister who knows my heart, knows my sins and loves me anyway.

Who would have thought that my baby sister was destined to become one of the most important people in my life. When she was born I thought of her as an annoyance. A squawking little being that woke me in the middle of the night with her crying. She wasn't the sister that could play dolls or have a tea party with. She was 11 years younger than me.

Years later, she became my best friend. We share laughter, tears, joy, and sorrow. She knows what to say or when not to say anything. She will always be closest to me. I am ever grateful for her as my sister and my friend.

I am blessed with two blood sisters and many friends who I feel are sisters.

It is nice to have both kinds. The blood sisters so much about me from childhood on. That can be good and bad. The hardest part was for them to accept the changes in me (my attitudes and my health.)

My other sisters are the ones who love me and celebrate, cry with me, laugh with me and love me no matter what.

Once I read a book that said it is important for women to find their "pack". I have a large pack.

Mary, I am honored to be counted as one of your sisters. You have touched me deeply and thank goodness you put the puzzle together and figured out that we actually knew one another.

I would love to have this book!

I have four blood sisters. I am still in the mentor stage with two of them. Another moved to be closer to me because she wanted a life more like mine? She recently came
and stayed with me helping me to finish some cosmetic touches to my home. We are
closer in age than our two younger sisters are and are helping each other to understand why all of our siblings need psychological therapy. The sister who is closest to me in age is the furthest away from all of us, but she calls monthly so we can
keep in contact.

I have a first cousin who is like a sister, we haven't seen each other in almost 50 years but we will always be close whether or not we can physically be with each other.

My other sisters are ones that I've picked for myself over the years. One friend from high school, that I still keep in contact with. A couple that I worked with who still check
in from time to time. Some of my sisters are friends I've made and kept for twenty some years. Others are older women with wisdom I want to learn.

All my sisters are women I can discuss anything with. My sisters are women who will tell me their worst fears and let me share my own. They won't lie or sugarcoat reality;
you don't do that with your sisters. You celebrate victories, cry with them in good and bad times, share hugs, clothes, and you very life with your sisters.

All through my adult life I have been haunted by a thought - who are the dearest people of our lives? Some think parents are there; to others, friends or some special friend prop them. But to me my two sisters are close to my heart - more than my mother and father. Reasons are simple, no one would be for long time with me than my sisters. And I shared the same womb and the same progenitor.

I have two Special sisters that jhave been with me though thick and thin, all the moods of my life from anger clear though to Zany!
One is my Biological sister Susie. I missed her so much when I was adopted my Parents adopted her two years later!
And then there is Sharon.We met on Ft. Lauderdale beach in 1966 and though the years have always been there for one another.No mater where in the country we are we know we have another home with one another...I safe haven,a place to celebrate or rest. She flew to Fla to be with me during the birth of my three childern,Came and lived in New Orleans. We moved from seperate states together to D.C. where we had gone on our first road trip! Last year comletely by chance I was in a tiny city in Ill called Hurst.When I went to call her I realized we were in the same area code.for a year while I was there we lived less than a half hour away.

Suzanne, Amy, Sharon, Julie, and Me (Carrie) make up The Divas of the popular Internet radio show, TheDivaCast. We've been friends for over ten years. We're real women, real friends, not just Internet show personalities. After encountering the common competitive dynamic prevalent among women, I intentionally set out to form a group of friends who would support each other with encouragement minus judgment. I invited the women now known as The Divas to a night of making dinner together and fellowship, and oh, yeah a little wine. Through Suzanne's bout with a rare cancer, the deaths of two Diva fathers, and the challenging twists Life brings, The Divas became deeply bonded. TheDivaCast hit the airwaves in April 2006. Suzanne and her husband, Robin (our producer, now dubbed "The Man", podcasted Suzanne's Master's degree thesis (Insytworks) and introduced the rest of The Divas to the idea of an Internet talk show. We had absolutely no broadcasting experience, and no idea what we were getting into, but our desire to encourage other women to forge female friendships and find their "inner Diva" motivated us to jump off the cliff into the unknown realm of podcasting. Plus, at the time, it just sounded like fun. Little did we know…? TheDivaCast is different than some other shows in that we were friends first, then podcasters. I welcome you all to come take a listen at TheDivaCast.com or on iTunes. Thanks for inviting me to comment on this article. Blessings to all you Diva Sistas!

I have two real sisters, a step-sister, and niece who is pretty much my sister since my mom is raising her and doen't call her grandma but mom just like me.
My sister and I couldn't be more different. My older sister Theresa, is very conservative strict religious person. My other biological sister, Roberta, is very liberal, doesn't care what people think about her and does her own thing. Kind of the black sheep of the family persay. I'm the level headed one for the most part.

Even though my sisters and I are not close, I know that when I need them they are there for me. They helped me through one of the toughest times in my life, when I was in fear of my ex. My sister Roberta, took a bus 2500 miles down to where I was got me and drove me 2500 miles back home, when I needed to get out of an abusive relationship.

I was torn apart from my family when I married my ex, I was only allowed to call home when he could monitor my conversations with them in fear that I would tell them something I wasn't suppose to. So I had very little contact with my sister during that time but when I needed them the most they were there for.

I know that no matter what I can call them when I need them, Theresa is always praying for me, Roberta will drop everything and help me when I need it and they always know they can call me when they need shoulder to cry on.

The 3 of us couldn't be more different from each other but we're family. Blood is stronger than any other bond for us and thats what makes my sisters so great.

Wow, some really great comments here! As I am reading through all the comments it's making me feel all warm and happy inside. Thank you everyone for sharing your thoughts, feelings and memories here!

As a child I was kind of a loner and did not have many friends. We are three sisters and I am the eldest. The only friends I knew as I was growing up were my sisters, I remember all our mischievious acts, the things we did behind our parent's back and still smile about those. We don't have much of a age gap between us as a result most of our growing up experiences were shared and these are the glue that still hold us together. Right now the three of us live in three different states - I am in Auckland, New Zealand. My middle sister is in Melbourne, Australia and the Youngest is in Adelaide, Australia. But we talk amost everyday, through emails and phone. All of us are gather members as well and share our moments with each other just like before. In fact, I was writing a story recently about our childhood, here's a paragraph from my story, hope you all like it:

excerpt from my story about my sisters: There was a Guava tree at the back. It was not too tall but taller than the veranda. Once upon a time there must have been railings on the veranda, now it looked like a second roof – above the ground floor and just below the actual roof.

As kids we used to pack salt and chilli powder in empty match boxes and climb up the tree – my sisters and I. The Guavas never grew as big as the ones my father bought from the market. They tasted raw and sticky, but we didn't mind. Guava trees were not common in the middle of the city, we didn't think so. There were no other quarters in the Dhaka university area that had a Guava tree, none that we had seen. So we didn't mind the stickiness, or the way the rough texture scraped our tongues and the tiny seeds got stuck between our teeth. We would sit on the branches and dunk the guavas in the matchbox before chewing them to a pulp. At times we swallowed the pulp and at times had a spitting competition from the branches.

Sometimes we jumped over to the veranda which once had a smooth cement coating on the floor. Only bits of the coating lingered on, mostly the floor was just dusty rough concrete with cracks here and there. There was pigeon do all over and the air was heavy with the pungent smell. We played house there and made lentil soup with mud, rice with the insides of cactus flowers, fish balls with the beadlike red seeds from a nearby hedge and served it all on plates of leaves.

My parents were kind enough to bless me with three sisters; Barbara, who is six years younger than I; Betty, who follows Barbara by 14 months; and Beverly, who we lost when she was only hours old. Barbara, Betty and I were not close during our "being raised" years ~ probably because of our age difference ~ but somehow as grown women, we've come to realize how very much we admire the qualities each of us has, to respect the opinions of one another (even though we may disagree), and to realize how fortunate we are to share the family we have. (Three brothers!)
We live considerable distances from one another, but we speak on the phone at least once a week, send one-line e-mail messages back and forth, and if we happen across a card, a gift, or an interesting article we grab it and send it off. We say "I love you" at every opportunity.
I like to think that all the women are my sisters in life, if not by birth. Women seem to have a certain connection with one another that is indescribable, yet knowing. Oh, yes, of course there are women that I have shared experiences, clothes and make-up, and boyfriends with. But the "sisterhood" among women is an amazing circle.
How wonderful to be a part of it.

My life has changed phenomenally over the past five years because of my friends whom I regard more as "sisters." They have supported me unconditionally and caused me to open up and try things I would have not ordinarily attempted. I've lost weight, grown as a person and learned a lot about myself and them. I have had the honor and privilege of standing by them when they feared death (including their own) and losing those they loved.

I have also cheered them on at contests and did the same for their kids. There is no feeling in the world as good as looking up and seeing your friends in the audience when you are performing.

We also have given each other a gift that will never expire, and that gift is prayer. A friendship united in Christ is a bond that will last forever. Even if you lose touch, you will never lose your places in each others hearts.

I have a bunch of sisters!!

Caroline- shes the youngest and sometimes annoying but i love her!!

Maggie- just a year younger shes my bffl!!! <333 you magss!! i can tell her anything!

Jessie- actually my cousin but I think of you as a sister! same age.... really random... but i <3333 you jess!!! bffl

Lora- also my cuz but i like thinking you as a sister too!! funny.. but need to be easier on yourself!!! <3333 you too loriss!!! bffl

Allie- my sister from another mister!!! but you practically live @ our house anywayss.. haha. bffl!!!!!!

Jeanine- my other sister from another mister!!!! even though you moved your still my bffl!!!!!!!!!

awww i can tell them anything!!!!!!

I didn't have sisters until I joined the Girl Scouts. I was fat, sad, and lonely. But as soon as I walked into my first meeting, I had more sisters than I knew what to do with. Some of them have moved, others I've lost contact with, but Theresa has been the one who has been through it all with me, me with her, and at the end of it, we're still sisters.
I met her almost 16 years ago. I was shy, didn't want to talk, and she was radiant. The whole room lit up when she walked in. She sat next to me and we started to talk. Well, it was all over from there. We were best friends. And in the scouts, each scout is a "sister".
As we entered high school, I started being unable to handle my depression. She was one of the only people who didn't leave me. She stayed up all night talking to me, showing me I'm not alone, that if nothing else, she cared about me. Then she got sick. She couldn't leave the house because of her IV treatments. I'd go to her house and watch movies or play cards with her. We'd talk on the phone until both our parents kicked us off the phone.
In college, we grew closer as I dealt with abusive boyfriends and she went through pledging. She drove me to the hospital when I needed to go and I was in the car when she was hit head on by an SUV.
Then, she lost her children to premature labor. And I almost lost her. She sunk so far into the oblivion, I didn't know if I could pull her back. She's doing better now, and I have my sister back. She's my closest friend and the only person I can talk to. She's the one I go to when I have exciting news and the one who listens when I cry. And she's the same with me. I love her.

I didn't get to know my blood sister until just a few years ago. There was a separation of several decades because of some internal strife in the family. So having a sister actually talk to me and empathize is new to me and a real blessing. Then there is a special group on the web where we meet to picnic together. We are all ages but share some common interests. We've been together 8 years and we email, phone, and talk on our community all the time. Life without those sisters would be bleak indeed!

My sisters are also dubbed "my five sane friends". These are women of a secret alliance with my best interest in their hearts. We have an unspoken agreement; to tell the truth, but only when asked. There are times when I need only an ear. There are other times when I need the voice of reason. These are women that offer me both, with unconditional love attached to it.

I am blessed to have my friends, my sisters, who keep me sane!

My sisters in love, a part of my heart are my adult daughter and my mother. They are two sisters who are always there for me and always have been there for me forever. I fully expect that they will always be there for me until one of us passes away. And if they need me, I am there for them.

My Sisters are friends who of the four of us, only two of us live in the same City right now. We communicate constantly through email and phone, guiding each other in ideas, decisions and commenting on wardrobe choices. We are there for each other. I think the best part of this sisterhood is the day that my friend who lives here was discussing with me the idea of buying a new car and we both commented at the same time that none of us (this would be our entire circle of friends including the men) have a large vehicle that might be required for hauling things like large items for our homes or even to go on road trips. We both laughed, because it was such a family thing to discuss the fact that we needed a bigger vehicle. So we are both trying to decide who will make the move to buy the larger vehicle so that we can haul things for everyone, because we love each other.

I do not have any sisters. However, I do have 3 soul sisters. They are as varied as chalk and cheese. I value them for their differences.

Sisters share, sisters care. Thats what I found out after knowing them at varied phases of my life. They do not know each other. However, they are very important to me in theur own ways.

It is the no judgement kind of thing that works for us. We just up from we left off. I met one of them after 15 years and it was as if we were never apart. Were we really? I do not think so. Having a sister like them is like having a piece of heaven.

I raise my toast for them.

Sisters? I was not blessed with sisters of the blood but rather sisters of the heart. I remember my mother telling me when I was a child that "adopted children get to choose their whole family", and that I did!

The names have changed of my "sisters" who have come and gone within my life, but their importance has not. At this time in my life, have found the closest "sisters" in the world right here on gather and even before for some of you.

These women know who they are but suffice it to say they have helped me to be a stronger, more focused woman because of their sisterhood and when I was asked to write a review of this book (which I just published) I was stunned at how much the book touched my heart and moved my soul.

this has got to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. It speaks to each and every woman who has a sister, blood or of the heart, and those who read it will close the book with a new awakening and awareness of just how their lives have been touched by the "sisters" in it.

Read it folks...even if you don't win it. I know you will enjoy it and learn from it, just as I did!

And not to leave the guys out...I have found here on gather some friends of the male kind that are as close to me as family. In fact, my brother here on gather can attest to the fact that my life is richer because of the connections I have found here. So guys, don't shy away from this book...its fantastic and you just might learn a little about women and sisters from reading it that you didn't know before. :-D

My sisters that are my siblings and I have our moments. I live far from all of them, and they all live near each other. I'm the novelty sister that visits occasionally and they are all on top of each other, getting on one another's nerves! In times of need, though, we're all very close.
My closer sisters are my two teenage daughters that I spend a lot of time with and my wonderful niece who lives on the opposite coast. She and I got close when her mom, my oldest sister was killed in a car accident.
She and I have gotten each other through our darkest days of unhappy and unwanted divorces. Now we're both on the other side of that dark place and enjoying a wonderful friendship.

My sister & I are half-sisters, but that does not define us. We are very close & hate to be apart for long. She lives in Minnesota & I am in Texas. Visits are frequent. We recently lost our Mom to lung cancer, and through this horrible illness, we have been brought even closer.
I don't know what I would ever do without her. She is always there when I need her & I hope I am always there for her as well.

I have two great sisters- one is my friend from high school Deanee- we have been friends for 44 years. One of the most admirable parts of Deanee is that she never has to say anything to me when the going gets rough- I can tell by the look in her eye how she feels. Regardless of the miles that have separated us- she has always been there for me. She sends cards, emails, calls and posts on our high school website little messages for me that only she and I can understand.
When I went through a period of stopping alcohol abuse, she sent me cards with AA slogans in it. Just recently, her mother died on Christmas Day- I knew it before she told me. Her mother was like a second mother to me and it saddened me. On the same day her mother was buried- her daughter had her first child-little AVA. She has been through many difficult periods in her life-but never complains and is always looking out for others. She always has a smile on her face. She is often stronger than I am and has great wisdom.
I think the best quality about her is she is not afraid to tell you what she thinks- but does it in a kind and caring way. No matter what is going on in her life she is there for you and never asks for anything in exchange.

My other sister is my mom- she loves me unconditionally, never says "I told you so" and is never critical. The amazing thing is that when something is going wrong or negative in my life, she calls me and says "talk to me." She doesn't give advice unless I ask her to. My mom is 83 lives alone after losing my dad and older brother within a year of each other. She is very independent and loves to volunteer and is very active in her church. Even though she may not approve of something I am doing- she still loves me (and boy have I made mistakes over the years).
Now that she lives alone, and we live states apart we make a point of seeing each other each year. Usually she goes with us on our family vacations- when I was 5 a little boy set my dress on fire and I got 3rd degree burns and almost died. I was in the hospital for a year. Never once did my mom leave my side. She quit her job, even though it hurt the family financially- to be with me all the time. But she never spoiled me due to the burns, she treated me the same as my brothers and always told me that burns didn't give me the excuse to pity myself. No matter what goes on in my life- she's there. She also is there for her friends and other elderly people that she volunteers to take to medical appointments, grocery shop. When I should be taking care of her- she still is there for me.

We will always find sisters-no matter where we are, or what is happening. I like to take those qualities I admire of them and put them to work for me. Sometimes we don't know who our sisters are until we need them- like guardian angels. We all have them. Carol H

My best friend for more than 20 years is another Gather member, Charlotte Babb, the fairy godmother person. She and I have been through debt, grief, being comfortable, moving from house to house, working together and working apart. She has kept me going on many occasions and she tells me I have opened her eyes or mind a few times in her search for self.

We have done things together that have blown people's minds simply because we did them and they were not our style of things. We once attended a hunt club ball because she was given the tickets to attend and she asked me to accompany her. What a blast! All of the people were talking about their "other" homes, their horses, the foxes they had killed, the private jet problems and servants and so on while we sat there just listening and taking in how the other people live. We were both school teachers on limited income and breaking our backs trying to keep our heads above water. When we were included in the conversations, they were amazed that we were educators and actually asked questions we saw as really questioning about the educational process of the times. We did not feel like we were just being tolerated and we did not feel out-of-place once we all connected as people.

One year during the Christmas season, Charlotte decided to make reversible vests for the holidays. I went with her to buy the cloth and the patterns so it was only natural that I drag my sewing machine over to her house and sew with her to make those vests. We toiled at the fun that is vest-making but they did not sell very well but she did find some folks to buy and might have made back her initial investment but no profit, I don't think. The next year she put her artistic abilities to use and custom-painted glass Christmas balls which she was able to place at several venues and from that year on for several years she bought all of the half-price and 75-90% off balls for the next year's projects. She painted some all year round so she was able to take customized orders when Thanksgiving rolled around.

I do not have a sister and neither does she but we corrected that mistake of Mother Nature and became sisters of different mothers joined at the heart and brought together by the love that only a good friend and "sister" can share. Now we are 500 miles apart and we don't talk every night but I don't feel any less joined at the heart. I still love my sister Charlotte.

Ashley, your writing means so much to so many of us. How can you say what you said about yourself? I'm so glad to hear that it's led you to come out of your shell. If the "real you" is anything like the person you've already shown us, then you'll be loved by all!!!

As to my own sisterhood, I used to have a group of girlfriends that I did everything with -- until a move changed everything. I miss them, but wouldn't change those Thursday Night Girl's Night Outs or weekend getaways for the world.

My sisters and I have our own "language" that no one else gets. We support each other, laugh at each other and cry with each other.

My sisters are my best friends.

My sisters include a close friend in town and a group of ladies on an email list that I'm on. It is possible to be "sisters" and to have never met anyone in person. When one of us is down, we pick each other up. When one of us laughs, we laugh with them. I have gotten so many words of inspiration from them, and for that I am forever grateful.

Not everyone has sisters. I have no "sisters." I had a blood sister but she died over 20 years ago from breast cancer complications. And it just makes me sick when I hear about sisters fighting or drifting apart or picking at each other. I'D GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE HER BACK. Please, sisters of the world, hug and kiss your sister(s) while you have the chance.

I don't know if I won't let people get close to me, or if there's something about me that people don't want to get close to, (I'm told I have a huge heart ... maybe I just don't want to get hurt), but I don't have anyone I could call and cry or laugh with. I want them, but then again I have so little time to spend with them. I get up at 5:15 a.m., walk the dog, take a shower, fix breakfast, leave for work, drive an hour to get there, work from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., drive an hour home, undress to round the house clothes, get ready for next day's work, eat dinner, clean up the kitchen, and then I have maybe 2 hours left before going to bed, and some of that has to be spent playing with Skippy, and looking at Gather. So as ya see, there's not enough left of me to give.

I must admit, though, I am going thru a very depressing time. The sorrows are weighing on me and even antid's and therapy is not doing it. I am lonely. I've thought about starting a "women's club" but it is just another creative thought I will probably just push away and not deal with.

I'm one sad example of a person, huh ; D

I have a sister and two stepsisters, I have some women that I've been friends with since grade school that are my sisters. I have a few coworkers that are my sisters. To me, it isn't blood relation that makes a person my sister. It is the fact that they help me and I help them. Whatever the situation, I know that I can call on any one of these people (or all of them) at anytime and they are there for me and vice versa. Sometimes it isn't always fun and games...there are times when we treat each other with "tough love" and that's okay too because it works.

I have two that I call true sisters ...
One I met in 1976 shortly after I got married. We met through my ex-husbands then employer (because she thought this lady would teach me how to be a lady ... it backfired as far as that cause I wound up teaching her survival skills and see taught me patience ... here it is 2008 and we are still sisters and always will be together we have survived both of us getting divorced and tho I live hundreds of miles away we are still only a phone call away.
The second wonderful lady I met through work in 2001 ... its like we connected instantly ... maybe because we were both born in the same year (I get to be big sis) or just that we met a need in each others lives ... whichever it is I am sooo very glad we met ... she has been there when I have been at my lowest points in the past few years and I have helped her the same.
Both of these ladies will always be my sisters regardless of time and space between us. I consider myself to be blessed.

Isn't it odd that we can become so close to sister Gatherers? There are many on here who helped hold me up when Shan was so ill. There are others who welcome my sometimes warped sense of humor. Then there are the ones that continue to hop over to my page like next door neighbors with a warm meal or plate of cookies.

Mary, was one of the first ones to reach out to me. It was astounding to think we found each other in this large community.

Marge always makes me smile.

r.j., teaches much about being frugal.

flit, I love to feel the soft breeze as she flits by

Oh, gosh, I know I'm missing many many.

Necee, here bear icon is always a welcome sight.

Elsie's writings stir my emotions everytime.

Marie, I love to hear about Mac and Alex her young ones.

Bonnie, stops by and brings smiles with her words.

My friend Carolyn, oh dear I would have been sad if I had forgotten to include you.

Apryl, your tender words and wise cracks always keep me on my toes.

Bhawana, dear one who is in pain at the loss of her dear mother.

So, many more. Please don't feel left out. My memory isn't so good.

I do not have biological sisters, but I have an ex-sister-in-law and I have a group of cybersisters.
I joke about my ex-sister-in-law. I got custody of her in the divorce settlement. She is the ex-wife of my brother. She is a wise woman who is respectful of the needs of others. She is honest and she does not pull punches when in comes to the truth. She loves our son dearly and she is one of his confidants. She is truly a blessing in my life because she has an understanding of my family of origin and how that affects what I choose to do with them.
My cybersisters are a group of women who I have not met personally but engage in chats with. We have been together to support one who is recently divorce, for some who have health concerns, for those who are stressed and at times when we just need to laugh. At times flip flops are seen flying through cyberspace to jar another into consciousness, or to just annoy or tease. We are a solid group who recognize the need to be individuals with connections. We are a great sisterhood.

I have two brilliant (blood) sisters, Dawn and Kim. Dawn is a psychologist, Kim is a geophysicist, and I am a writer. Each one of us is a unique person with different interests, but we are close because of a great friendship, a shared past, and the love that unites a happy family.
When we were younger, people refered to us as the 'Wilson Girls' and insisted we looked alike although there is no physical similiarity in our appearances whatsoever. "It's in the eyes", they would say, and that is true, becaues the eyes are the window to the soul, and that is where we are alike. That's where we are united.

I met my sultry, Armenian "sister" at a wedding in Evanston, Illinois when my nephew married her niece. We were among dancing friends and relatives and she invited me to her home in Boston's North End when we were both tipsy.
I first spied her and her three tall dark daughters through two windows from a back porch.
I envied her. My youngest daughter, who is autistic and severely retarded, wasn't at the wedding, nor did she come with us to most family events.
I had just had my divorce finalized the day before I flew from CT to Illinois. I had jogged eight miles to my attorneys office to sign the agreement. In addition, I had just been dumped by a boyfriend.
Here was Myra, who, since 1980 has been my best friend and distant relative. I came to the North End of Boston and was thrilled to meet such a sophisticated, spontaneous and silly friend for life. When my middle daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 1998, Myra
spent a week at my house, driving my daughter to radiation treatments so I would not miss too much work at my new job with a tyrant of a boss.
My daughter has survived her cancer, thank God, and is writing a book about it. She even has an agent!
Meanwhile, Myra continues to bring me warmth, understanding and love as well as an
aesthetic appreciation of all things beautiful.
Marta R., Jan. 3, 2008.

As my own sister has never wanted any kind of close relationship with me I decided to go out into this wacky world and find a few of my own. One sister, Nancy, helped me through a serious bout with depression...checking on me everyday - as I didn't leave my apartment much, bringing me food and just hanging with me and laughing or crying. My other sister chics have just been there when dad passed away and kept their shoulders handy when I turned to cry on them and in return when one lost her son this past year my shoulder was their for her. We have all been through the emotional ringer of late with the loss of parents and children, divorces and weddings and the birth of children and grandchildren. We make time for each other and if we realize it's "been awhile" since we have sat and laughed together we make a date for dinner or coffee and some well earned giggles. We are in touch everyday be it by phone, email or because we work together. I have the best of the best in my circle of sisters....I've chosen well and am blessed with their love!