All My Brothers, Sisters and Me!

From left to right: Kate, Bev, Karen, Mark, Jason and Melissa at one year. (Mom, aren't you glad we weren't sextuplets?!)

Fact-checking isn't usually a concern for me, because I don't deal in facts. I like to stick with feelings. But this time I'm glad I checked...

I had it in my mind that today would be a good day to write about my "Happy Place." Naturally, my first thought was of my family. Whatever I don't have, I have a family, and the people in it are my favorite things in the the whole world. Even when they are worrying or frustrating or exasperating me, I am happy to have them. I realize how blessed I am.

As I was thinking along those lines, that song by Sister Sledge--We Are Family--popped into my head and wouldn't leave. The words, "all my brothers, sisters and me" kept playing in an endless loop. Eventually, I thought of something else--that even if you used an apostrophe, i.e., "all my brothers' sisters and me," it would still be correct. My brothers' sisters are my sisters! (Of course, if you said "all my brother's sisters and me," then in my case, I would have to add "and my other brother" to make it fit.)

Anyway, by now you're probably thinking, Wait, Kate--those aren't even the words!

I know, I know--I checked. It's actually "I got all my sisters with me!" Don't judge me--it's the exact same number of syllables. My way fit perfectly. My title stays.

The picture is one of my sister Karen's (third from the left) early Photo Shop masterpieces. We didn't have a lot of money for extras, but Mom managed to have professional portraits made of each of us when we were a year old. Karen put them all into one portrait, taking license to switch the birth order just a bit. The last two on the right--Jason and Missy--were switched so Jason wouldn't be left out there at the end, facing in the wrong direction, laughing at something that no one else could see.

In some ways we are alike, and in some ways we are different. I guess that's the way it is in all families. The differences sometimes cause arguments. But the shared history (even though our memories may not be the same), the knowledge that we belong to each other--that we will be there for each other, no matter what...Those are the things that make being nestled among these guys--all my brothers, sisters and me--a very happy place. I am thankful.