Instant Bonds

I was blessed to become a big sister at the age of 3 (A post for another day).  My brother, Trevor, and I have always been as close as any sibling should be, of course with the fights that come along with sibling rivalry.  We grew up with 3 male cousins, and at every holiday event, I would wish that I somehow would not be the only girl in the "group" by the next holiday.  When I was in 10th grade and 15 years old,  my wish was granted.  My uncle (my dad's younger brother) and aunt, became parents to a beautiful baby girl named Rachel.  It was love at first sight.  I wanted to be with her all of the time and even though we lived 15 minutes away from each other, I was at their house more often that my aunt and uncle probably had liked.  The summer that I graduated from high school, I received the wish again.  Rachel became a big sister to a beautiful baby girl named Amanda.  As I was asked to be her godmother, the emotions poured out.  I had been the flower girl in my uncle and aunt's wedding, and now they were asking me to hold this ever important role in their daughter's life.  I spent a lot of time at their house (surprise surprise!) that summer, as I was going off to college, 2 hours away, that August.  I was upset leaving for many reasons.  Not being a short car ride away really had me worried that they wouldn't remember me when I came home for breaks and that I would miss the ever changing physical appearances that accompany childhood.  My aunt made sure that didn't happen.  She sent me pictures to hang in my dorm room almost weekly, and I came home soon after I first left, for Amanda's Baptism.  As the year away went on, slowly, thankfully I was home more than I expected, not just on breaks, and I would always make time to visit them.
I remember when the girls were attending Catholic school, the same school that Trevor and I attended, there were always parents of their friends who would make comments about how neat it was that the girls had a cousin willing to drop everything for them, and be at every event they participated in.  Times have not changed, I would still drop everything for them!  As the years passed, we developed our own traditions with each other...trick or treating in their neighborhood, arriving bright and early to watch them open their Christmas gifts, Easter egg hunts at our mom-mom's, and every little occasion in between that didn't need a holiday to mark it's special memory.  Chris became very close to them once we began dating, which meant the world to me.  He still, to this day, calls them his "little sisters". 
Fast forward 11 years and the instant bonds surfaced again, this time when Aiden was born.  Aiden loves both of them equally but has shared the love of sports with Amanda since I can remember.  When Raegan was born, Rachel hoped "she would be her favorite", and I would say that Rachel got her wish.  Kind of find it ironic, that we chose names for our kids with the same first initials as both girls.  That was not planned, but I have to say my subconscious may have played a part.  They have special names for both of the girls, Rachel is "Yay-Yay" and Amanda is "Manna".  I have caught Aiden callling both by their "real" names recently, and it tugs at my heart a bit...making me realize that he is growing up.  The circle continues, as on Christmas morning we are still all together, except our house is the host and my kids are the ones opening their gifts.  I only hope that the relationships they have created continue as the years pass...I feel as though I am looking through a mirror, when the bond began on a COLD November day almost 18 years ago.
Smiling,
Ashley