The Never Ending List

Once upon a time there were us. All seven of us. A long and happy list. Ever since I could remember I had raced through it in my mind when a new baby was born and tried to get used to the new name being at the end of it. After a while, it belonged there and we lived on: happily.

When the seventh was born, I was nine and starting to be aware that being an older sister was very neat. Painting, scrapbooking, and all the other activities Mom had planned for when she was born were very fun too. And then she got older, and learned to walk and talk. When she was about one and a half years old, we all wondered if it was time to revise the list again. This time God decided to wait until I was almost twelve.

This year was one of the biggest in my life when I discovered I was going to go live in the Promised Land flowing with trees and rain. I had only read about those in books, and I was sure every moment would be glorious. We spied out the Promised Land and returned to wandering in the wilderness only long enough to get ready to move.

Then Mommy and Daddy told us that there was another baby coming and the happy list would get longer. We lived a glorious and adventuresome summer in the Sunday school rooms of the local church. That winter after the biggest snow in years the eighth was born. Daddy and Mommy brought her home in her carseat, and we all admired her. I ran through the list again until the name fit.

This time, I was old enough to hold the baby standing up. I learned to help her go to sleep, took photos of her, and learned how to dress her gently. I learned to change diapers and not be too grossed out.

When she was a year old she was learning how to walk and another year had begun. I dressed her in the cutest dresses of my own choice, did her hair in pigtails when there was finally enough of it, and carried her around on my hip.

The years passed, and we became the best of friends. When she needed water she would ask me first, we rode together in the van on road trips, and I taught her finger games and rhymes.

Now, though she is beginning to be a bigger little girl, we are still friends. We play dollhouse together, mix yummy things to eat, and thumbs-up our favorite songs. I am very grateful that God has blessed me with another sister and best friend. The list keeps going on with a brother-in-law and two glorious nephews added. I can't wait to see who God adds next.