Pseudo-sisters

When my bestie and her family followed their sea change dream north a couple of years ago, it’s fair to say I had mixed emotions: super-happy for them, but (selfishly) devastated for me.

There are few people in the world that get me like Shannon does. She’s the sister I never had, without the family baggage. And though we still talk on the phone when we can, it’s just not the same as face-to-face, so I was chuffed this week to get not one, but TWO chances to hang out with my girl in the flesh.

So on Wednesday, my rather accommodating boss (aka me) gave me the day off work, and Shan and her two girls came up for the day. Decs was in seventh heaven – he loves those girls like sisters too, and it’s so beautiful to see them together: Ziva, the eldest, stage-directing their imagination games, Dec happily following her instructions to the letter, and little Isa hitting the cute button at regular intervals.

After a few hours of solid catch-up, several cups of tea (ours) and an army of snacks (theirs), arsenic hour loomed and the love-in began to turn to mild bickering, so we bundled up the kids and the dog for a wander through the bush to our local playground.

I love that the walk to our local playground now looks like this, rather than the busy main roads we used to walk alongside, and that Dec happily tears off through the bush without a backward glance.

Though light on for playground equipment, our local is a whole world of nature ready to explore, and all three kids wandered around happily collecting bush treasures – bark, seed pods, interesting sticks and leaves – and bringing them to Shan and me to lug home for them.

We took along the outdoor chalks for an art session; the park has a huge stone sculpture of a lizard, the decoration of which is an institution for the local kids.

Z went off collecting bark as canvases for little chalk drawings, while Decs and Isa went to town on the lizard, singing away all the while before taking turns pushing each other on the swing, giggling manically, and generally being heart-meltingly sweet together. Decs tenderly putting on Isa’s seat belt. Petite little Isa putting her whole body into trying to push Decs up to the sky.

We do miss those little girls. Decs cried for ages when they headed back down the hill for dinner at their Grandma’s, only consoled by the promise of a holiday up at their place next month for her husband Dave’s 40th birthday bash.

Then last night was our turn for a proper kid-free catch-up. A few wines, some delicious food, and just us, solving the problems of the world. And of course, several rounds of good-natured: “move to the Blue Mountains!”… “no, you move up to Port Macquarie!”

Shan and I met through work, just over 15 years ago. We were both in regional tourism at the time, and got to talking about music while slowly going insane with boredom at a travel trade show; we organised a night out to hit the dance floor together, and the rest is history. I love that we can be on opposite sides of a dark and crowded room and hear a particular beat or groove drop that draws us both back to meet on the dance floor, our grins huge and feet aching.

When they moved up north we pretty much assumed we’d follow at some point: it’s a nice place, we didn’t really have any particular ties to Sydney, and she’s my people. But between the lack of employment opportunities, the distance from my family (and with little Benny now on the scene), and Steve’s general disdain for humidity, it’s not really an option. At least for now.

And we do so love it up here.

So do you have a sister or brother from another mother? What do they mean to you?

xJen
seeding the wild