“Are they all yours?”
My parents have gotten this question too many times to count.
“Wow, four girls. You must be so lucky.”
My parents will tell you that they are so lucky to have me and my three sisters, but I’m even luckier.
For the past 18 years, I’ve had three built-in best friends: my sisters Mae, Caroline and Kate. They know everything about me and I know them inside and out.
We’ve shared a lot of the same experiences: a move from Fairhope, Ala., first days of school at Visitation and East and the awkward-but-fun eighth grade basement graduation dance. We drive my parents crazy by staying up too late and laughing too loudly. We critique each others’ work, know exactly whose shirt that is and often squeezed so we could all take a bath together. They can drive me up a wall, but I don’t know who I would be if I didn’t have Mae, Caroline and Kate.
One thing’s for sure, I wouldn’t know all the words to “Livin’ La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin, “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond or “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men. Mae, Caroline, my mom and I would jam out to all these songs at our home in Fairhope before taking a nap.
We easily became Russell Stover’s most valued customers when they came to the Fairway Shops a couple years ago. We like to celebrate special occasions with some ice cream, but some of our special occasions are a bit of a stretch. Receive good grades on quarter grade report? Let’s go get ice cream. Last normal Friday of high school or even just a beautiful day? Everyone get into the minivan.
I am fiercely proud of my sisters. Any compliment or good thing that somebody tells me about my sisters thrills me, whether it’s Mae and her artistic talents, Caroline and her perfectionist ways or Kate and her huge smile and happy personality. And it’s not just because our genes are 99.99 percent similar.
Next year in college will be the first time I will be without them. The four sisters will be separated and I will be on my own. Caroline is already making plans to move into my room while Mae is looking forward to having the minivan to herself. I know that while I’m gone, mornings wouldn’t be quite as stressful and weekends will be more productive. However, I know that whatever happens, we will all end up back together. We’ve been together for too long to go our separate ways.
So Mae-Mae, Kiwilime, and Katie-Pie, thank you sticking with me and making me laugh for the past 18 years. Thank you for watching Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and SNL with me, even if you didn’t think it was funny. You will do great things at East and I can’t wait to see what you do in life. Never forget to call me at any time or day and I am always up for ice cream.
I love you,
Grace.
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