We were walking from the horse pasture back up to the house. I was leading and the two little girls were walking and talking behind me while I was thinking ahead at whatever task was left to do. This must have occurred early in the fall of 2008 which would have made Ava a new 4 year old with her 2 year old sister Jada always following along after her.
I’m not sure what the two of them had been discussing but I took notice when Ava ran past me without her little sister struggling to keep up.
“Ava, where are you off to?” I called after her. She stopped and turned to meet me. Her hands settled with authority on her hips.
“Jada asked me for help and I don’t want to help her. I’m going inside.” Ava replied with no small amount of attitude.
I glanced back at Jada who didn’t seem bothered by this lack of support. Something else had caught her attention and while she was still following me toward the house the line was no longer straight but moving in and out of the shadows of trees and backyard toys. I knelt to meet Ava’s eyes with my own.
“Honey, Jada is your sister and when she asks for help you need to do what you can to help her. The two of you are going to need help from each other a lot as you grow up.”
She said something to confirm she heard what I said and went off into the house. Jada and I now following her lead.
A week ago my wife and girls met me for lunch at a park near where I work. None of us had been to this park before. The girls had time to play for a bit before I had to head back to work and they back home for naps. Kids and parks have always amazed me. I know this isn’t true of all adults, but when I am in the company of a large group of people my first thought is not “who am I going to make friends with”. This is, however, exactly how my girls seem to react when entering into a group of their peers.
The girls played together and separately, moving in and out of circles of other kids at the playground. On a few occasions Ava would point out a girl and comment that she looked to be the same age as she. Off she would go to introduce herself and before we knew it she found a core group of girls all 4-5 years old.
Jada had been playing mostly by herself. In and out of the sandboxes, up and down the slides. Eventually she went to seek out her big sister and upon finding her asked if she could play with her. It was at this moment that one of the other kids chimed in to say “only big kids are playing here.” Ava didn’t lose a beat. She turned to the girl, the self proclaimed big kid, and told her, “It’s OK. This is Jada. She’s my little sister.” Ava then turned to Jada and grabbing her hand said, “c’mon Jade. You can play with us.”
It seems Ava has learned to hear Jada’s call for help even when it isn’t said aloud, and Jada has learned she doesn’t always have to ask for it. These girls of mine, these sisters, they’re starting to get it.
Yes they are.
Hi Chuck! Thanks for stopping by. How long have you had the new blog layout – it’s great! Super post and I love the photo!
It’s so great to see them be sisterly like that, to watch one be inclusive and protective of the other. My two, now 16 and 13, are still very much sisters like this. The older one is very protective and motherly toward her younger sister, even now… until it gets to be too much and older sis needs her alone time. I’ve only had to remind them each once that as they go through life there will be friends that will come into their lives while others go, they will say goodbye to some older family members and hello to new, younger ones; but as sisters they will be traveling through life together – and it’ll be a much better trip if they stick together.
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I missed having a sibling to be close to growing up. I hope they have a wonderful relationship now and when they are adults. Great ending photo too.
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Hmmmm…..Gramma’s thinkin that that picture in a frame would be real nice for Christmas……………Love my girls!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
Great post. I think you have got a great couple of girls their who are going to be very close as they grow up.
I hope that my 2 kids are just the same.
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@Debbie Davis – Thanks! We’ve only had the new layout for a week or so. Glad you like it.
@Tom – You’ve given them great direction Tom. You must be pretty proud.
@Tara R – I hope their relationship endures too. I have many siblings but none so close in age that we were friends, like this.
@Gramma – Subtle much?
Thanks!
@Gareth – Thanks. Here’s to your kids having a close loving relationship.
Wow. My girls are the same, it’s always, Mommy, see that new friend over there her name is…….
My girls are much the same way, except they seem to give it back and forth to each other.
I think it’s the age range too, Ems and Boo are almost two years apart and though they bicker, they are best buddies.
My sister and I, though we are close, had almost five years difference and didn’t seem to buddy up that way.
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