Some days ....

I feel so alone. Just isolated in my world of insanity, deadlines and pressures. Last night I was feeling that (still am a little this morning) and I decided in my vacuum of self pity to call my sister and see how she was doing, because, like me, she's sometimes overwhelmed with life (new semester) and I had empathy for her. I decided before the call that I wouldn't complain or talk about my problems, just listen to hers if she had any to share. It was a great decision. She said that she was doing fine, detailing her class assignments that she was starting, telling me about her husband's schedule and her new writing assignments at her internship. It felt so good to listen to someone else. We had such a good conversation, laughing about things my kids say, talking about how possessive we are with our favorite foods, and just other life stuff sisters share. She's 8 years my junior, so growing up we never really connected the way we do now. As she has grown, our similarities have become more visible. A few weeks ago we both cut our hair on the same day -- chopped it off completely. But I admire her not because she's like me, but because she's different than me. She's organized, compassionate, absorbed in details, driven and beautiful. She even had the thought to donate the hair she cut off. That's the kind of woman she is.
Thanks Kate for pulling me out of my funk last night. Even though I still feel alone in my responsibilities, I'm grateful to know that someone I know and admire out there is taking hers on with optimism.
Love you.