Meet My Sisters

My parents had 5 daughters to raise. The oldest is Charlene, she is the sweetest and most patient out of all of us. She prays all the time and probably would have been a nun if she never met my brother-in-law, Dick. They fell in love when Char was about 16, got married at 18, and are still together 30 something years later.

Cheryl is the second oldest, she is the most driven, ambitious and smartest. She is also the klutziest. I could write a book about Cheryl's most embarrassing moments. If something weird is going to happen, it will happen to Cheryl. She has a huge heart. She feels she was put on earth to take of her family, which she does.

Mary Beth is the middle child. Poor Mary, we used to pick on her all the time. She was so easy to scare. My sister Gina could give her a mean look with her eyes and Mary would cry. Mary is a true girly-girl. She has to have her hair, nails and clothes perfect at all times. Growing up Mary shared a room with me and Gina. Her side was always neat and her bed was made every morning. Gina and I couldn't even find our beds much less make them.

Gina was born just 15 months after Mary Beth. Gina is the smallest of all the girls. She is only 4'11, but even with that small stature she is the most confident, secure, and out-spoken of us all. You do not want to mess with her, she will put you in your place. She always stood up to my parents growing up. Which in turn carved a much easier path for me. For example, she went to my parents and told them she was moving in with her boyfriend. My parents didn't like that idea. Gina made it clear she was not asking them, she was just letting them know. Turns out it was a good decision, she has been married to that "boyfriend" for over 20 years.

I am the baby (they saved the best for last, heehee). I basically have been raised by 5 mothers. Even now at 44 my sisters still tell me what to do. I can't make a move without getting the approval from at least one of them. I love them all and would be lost without them.

Being the last of the litter, and coming a full 4 years after my sister Gina, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that I was not "planned". I mentioned this to my dad one day, the fact that I was a mistake. He said something to me that I will never forget. He said "You're the best mistake I ever made." (I know, he's the sweetest). My mom doesn't say sweet things. I remember being 8 years old and asking my mom who was Santa Claus, she was busy making sauce, she whipped around and yelled, "I AM...OK!! No explanation, no long sensitive talk or nice words. She turned and continued making meatballs. But now with her grandchildren she's a totally different story. My son had just gotten over a cold and I told her I was sending him back to school. She had a holy fit attack. "Why are you rushing him back to school, he should be home a few more days!!!" I couldn't believe my ears, this was coming from the same woman who once told me, "You are going back to school tomorrow even if you have to go in an ambulance!"