Sisters

I was going to do baby-led weaning this week, but I was distracted again. Sorry. Next week, I promise.

I have 3 siblings. Two older brothers and one younger sister and I am fortunate that we are all very different, (apart from the ability to use sarcasm in any situation) but in a way, we all complement each other. Aside from my husband, my sister is my closest friend and confidante.

In March 2020, she decided to move to New Zealand for a 6 month trial, living with her new partner who she had met whilst travelling. Of course, just after she entered New Zealand, they closed the borders for two years. Thankfully the relationship worked and the lords of technology invented WhatsApp so I could have my weekly sister fix.

Rather selfishly, the loss was all about me, but her absence started to become normality and I could save all our news for a Sunday morning catch up. However, the loss should, of course, have been all about her. Yes, it was exciting and she had met and was living with her perfect partner but she had left her career, her friends (she has millions of close friends!), her routines and her family.

I only realised how much she was missing after I became very drunk one evening and rang her telling her I would come and visit soon. When I say drunk, I mean more drunk than I have been in years. It turned out a great number of things were said but as there were three phone calls and I can only remember one, a lot of what passed between us is gone forever.

When I rang her to apologise about the alcohol, she asked me when I was coming. It was obvious that she was quite excited and I apologised that I had made false promises and could not afford to come to New Zealand. Her excitement and subsequent attempt to cover disappointment with humour made me realise how much she was desperate to share her new life with someone from home.

Soooo. I carefully prepared the best sales pitch of my life and told my husband that I thought it would be an amazing thing for my sister if I was to go to New Zealand. I explained that it would be a sort of holiday for him as he could take two weeks off work and look after David. By the end of the conversation it was agreed and at my husband’s suggestion, it was decided I should take three weeks to make it worth my while (the man is amazing!).

It was kept a secret and on Sunday night I left the UK for 24 hours of travel to Christchurch, New Zealand. I arrived at her house while she was out. Her partner had told me how to get in so I hid behind the microwave in her kitchen to leap out and cause her a coronary. I was hoping to get one of those TikTok videos where no one believes it was really a surprise because it looks so fake but I pressed record at the wrong time and you just hear loads of sobbing and a film of our legs. The surprise, the journey, the husband and child abandonment were worth it. She was so happy.

That is what siblings are for. To annoy you, to share childhood memories that no one else understands, to nag you, to surprise you and to make you sob with happiness.