I sit in my grandparent’s kitchen, drinking a glass of milk and a slice of soda bread. My eyes glued to my grandmother who is pacing by the pantry door with the phone in her hand and a smile emerging on her face. She soon hands me the device. My father’s voice emerges from the handheld, “Hello Ashling, we have some news for you”. I felt the butterflies in my stomach. I hold my breath, I was hoping my wish had come true.
“You have a little sister” he announced over the phone. To this day I can clearly remember the joy I felt in that moment.
Prior to her emergence into the world I would often dress my baby brother who is 15 months older than her as a girl, a part of me believed that if I wished hard enough I would eventually be rewarded with a female sibling.
My sister Neamh came into the world in November 2002. She is currently fourteen years old and just a mere six years younger than myself. The baby of the house, she often gets the blame for the wrongs committed by my brothers and me.
A keen baker, my sister can be found in the kitchen making cupcakes, breads and cookies. Having a sibling who bakes can be great as you indulge yourself in freshly baked goods. However, it also means enduring some painful bites of undercooked Red Velvet cake, smiling and hoping that she never makes it again, (she always does, and claims it as her best dish).
Growing up with a younger sister to whom you are separated by six years can be a challenge. Differences in interests and opinions regularly causes opportunities for fallouts and exchanges of harsh words. However, we often unite forces to claim back power from our brothers in the household.
Having a sister is having a friend to share inside jokes with across the kitchen table, during movies, and in the car while your brothers stare at each other in confusion. It means having someone to share clothes with, however at this point in time I believe she benefits more from this than myself. Having a female sibling means I have another woman to argue with besides my mother. Often referred to as my “mini me” our relatives often find it hard to tell us apart. Having a little sister means sharing some knowledge that you wish you had at her age, like how silver eyeshadow paired with neon blush is not a good look.
Although we don’t always see eye to eye we share a unique bond, as we get older and mature we gain common interests, and fit into the same size clothing. Despite the fact she may receive the blame for the sins committed by her siblings we will always look out for her, even if it means sparing her feelings after a dodgy Red Velvet cake that leaves us, her siblings with a sore stomach.
My sister means the world to me, I hope she feels the same way too.