Friday Musings... Big Sis/Lil Sis

I'm waiting for my niece to arrive for her quick 30 minute visit to the office (well, its supposed to be a quick visit, but its never only 30 mins)... My baby sister (the mother of said niece) is due to have her second child in a few weeks and is currently dealing with some health issues so has frequent visits to the Dr/Hospital for checkups. So little Miss C is a frequent visitor to our office, she loves it, sitting at my desk, typing on my keyboard and picking up my phone to talk to Joel (her current crush, she's just turned 2 mind you...).
This whole health scare for Lil Sis has made me realise just how ingrained the Big Sis/Lil Sis relationship is for me. My Lil Sis is 6 years younger than me and we have two brothers between me and her. When we were very young, she was just a little doll to me, when I was a teenager, she was the embarrassing little sister who would pull my skirt down in front of all my friends and just hang around, loitering... And then I went to boarding school, she was still in primary school and with the farm hours away from the city, I didn’t see my family much at all. Then… I moved to Sydney with a boyfriend pretty much a year after leaving school, so I only saw my family on bi-yearly holidays; for the next 9 years. However during that time, Lil Sis started at boarding school herself, and so began the weekly phone calls, talking about how inedible the food was, how strict the house mistresses were, and how much we missed the farm, and after boarding school, the weekly phone calls continued… She flew to Sydney at the drop of a hat when my relationships ripped my world apart and all I could do was sob on the phone, devastated that my dreams had been shattered, she taught me that I wasn’t the only protective one.
When I moved back to Perth, I moved in with her and her then boyfriend, where we lived reasonably harmoniously for 2 years, surviving a surprise pregnancy, wedding and very difficult infancy for Miss C – all happened to Lil Sis, my life continued on an even keel. I still only live a 3 minute drive from Lil Sis and see her roughly 6 days a week. Particularly now her pregnancy is going through some difficulties.
I love her fiercely and want to protect her from being hurt, but I struggle to remember to live my own life and not smother her and hers, and probably most importantly that I don’t always have to be 3 minutes away. That by giving Lil Sis, her hubby and Miss C space, that they will have the chance to develop their own little family dynamics. Hmmm, it would appear I not only dispense self help advice to friends, I can provide the advice to myself also… But will I take the advice?
Hugs to all the Big and Lil Sisters out there.
Sx


And because she will (probably) never know, here's a pic of my Lil Sis, aged about 2... x