A Sister's Love

Last Friday we found out that our next baby is a girl. There was a moment of, "OK fine, it’s not a boy. We're not going have that perfect little nuclear family", but it was quickly replaced by, "Sweet all our baby stuff is girlie anyways". Wow sisters. Is there anything more beautiful in life than the relationship between two sisters? I have a sister. My mom is one of  6 sisters, and now my daughter will have a sister.

I love my sister. She will never  understand how much I love her. She rolls her eyes at me most of the time, because she thinks I’m mean to her, but really it’s tough love. I’m the older one, so I have an innate duty to take care of her, no matter what. I’m tough on her because she deserves to have her shit together, and I’m the only one that can force that on her. At the end of the day, she still has to love me.

My mom, and Auntie Chanthon have a similar relationship, though I'd say my mom, the younger sister is the mean one. Or maybe being the older sister, my auntie just lets her bratty younger sister have her way. They are exactly in the middle of the line of sisters. There are two older sisters before my mom, and auntie, and two younger sisters after them. They are the closest in age, and have followed similar paths.

Between 1975 and 1979 the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia. They were extreme Communists, who forced the entire country into agricultural concentration camps. By the end of their reign, one third of the population had either died from starvation, had been killed, or tortured to death. Some people stayed in Cambodia while the Vietnamese tried to stabilize the country. Many escaped to refugee camps along the Thai border.

My mom, and auntie were around 17, and 18 years old when they headed with a group of other Cambodians for the border. They had to constantly dodge cross fires between the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese. There were land mines. They walked for days on empty stomachs. They were driven by fear, and desperation. Did I mention how old my mom, and auntie were? 

Half way through the jungles of Cambodia my mom got malaria. She was very weak, and slowing the group down. My mom knew she was dying. The group told her that they had to abandon her. My auntie told them that her sister deserved to be buried properly. She would care for my mom until she passed away, bury her body, and then try to catch up with the group later. Traveling alone as a woman, she most likely wouldn't have made it back to the group. Regardless, the others left the two sisters.

Miraculously, after a few days in a field, hidden amongst the tall grass, with my auntie by her side, my mom recovered. She gained back her energy. Within days, my mom, and auntie caught up to the group.

I know how truly blessed I am that my sister and I, and my daughters, will never have to go through an experience like that. But it fills me with pride that this example of sisterhood exists in my family. 

My mom, and auntie aren't BFF's by any means, but there is a love and respect for your sister that you just can't create with anyone else. I'm really excited that my daughter will get to experience that.