Two Sisters

There were once two sisters, one older and one younger, and the older one it seemed was good at everything and so successful while the younger one always looked on from the side lines and could only wish that she could be as good at everything as her sister.

 

For example, the older sister was very good at skating and the younger sister would often sit and watch as she went whizzing about, gliding in circles, leaping; pirouetting and doing the splits.

 

“I wish I were as good at skating as you”, she’d say as her sister skated past, “But when I get on the ice, I just fall down”.

 

“Well you can’t be good at everything”, said the older sister, “And besides I think you are amazing just the way you are”.

 

And the older sister was good at swimming and diving too;  the younger one would stand in the shallow end of the swimming pool and watch, enviously, as her sister sprang from the high diving board and somersaulted before diving gracefully into the water.

 

And she wasn’t just good at physical activities and sports; she was so talented; the younger sisters bedroom walls covered in sketches and paintings her sister had done of her.

 

She could even sing and play the guitar and keyboard, even tap dance a little too and she was a grade ‘A’ student, always coming home from school with a perfect report card; their parents were so proud of her being so smart and talented.

 

But whenever she mentioned to her older sister how jealous she was, she always said the same thing, “You can’t be good at everything, anyway I think your amazing just the way you are”.

 

But then, when the older sister was 17 and the younger sister, 15; the older sister died in a car accident.

 

It was so traumatic for the younger sister and for her parents, losing a daughter; a girl who, they said “was so full of life; so incredibly talented; who had such a great future ahead of her”.

 

And the younger sister would often wonder to herself,

 

“Why was it her who died and not me? She was the one who was good at everything; the one who could have been anything she wanted to be. If it was going to be anyone, it should have been me”.

 

But  then, one night, she had a strange dream that she saw her sister ice skating, and she skated so gracefully that she almost seemed to fly over the ice and, watching her, the younger sister realised that she must be an angel but one flying on ice-skates rather than wings.

 

She saw her sister pirouette in the air just like figure skaters do and it was magical but then her sister skated over to the side of the rink and sitting down, started to unlace and take off the skates.

 

“That was amazing”, said the younger girl, her eyes glowing with admiration for her sister.

 

“It’s your turn now”, said the older sister, handing her the skates she had taken off.

 

The younger sister shook her head,

“No, I couldn’t”, she said, “You know me. If I get on the ice, I’ll just fall flat on my face”.

 

“You won’t fall”, said the older sister, “Trust me”.

 

Then, because it was a dream, suddenly the younger sister was standing at the edge of the rink and, looking down she saw that she had the skates on and she could feel her sister behind her holding onto her but, looking back over her shoulder, she couldn’t see anyone.

 

“Go on”, she heard her sister say in her ear, “You can do it. You’ve just got to believe”.

 

Then, suddenly, without even trying, she was doing it; she was skating and every time she thought she was about to fall she felt her sister supporting her, helping her keep her balance.

 

“Don’t worry”, she heard her sister say, “I won’t let you fall”.

 

She even managed to pirouette in the air somehow but it felt like hands were lifting her and turning her round.

 

“Wow!”, she said, as she came down to earth again.

 

“I told you you could do it”, said her sister.

 

But then the younger sister insisted on sitting down. She wanted to talk to her sister; she wanted to tell her how much she missed her; how much she loved her.

 

“Don’t worry about me”, said her sister, “You’ve been given an amazing chance in life. This is your time to shine”.

 

Then she hugged her sister and as she was hugging her she woke up but she never forgot that dream and, whatever she did in life she tried so hard, hoping that her sister could see it and that it would make her proud and whenever she had problems or fears or doubts, she always felt that her sister was beside her, supporting; helping her to keep her balance and even lifting her up.