This Bright Winter Morning

The first rays of morning light illuminate their tiny faces as I round the corner of the stairs.

How long have you been holding her like that?  I ask in a scratchy morning voice.

Shhh...she answers.  I think she's having a bad dream.

I remember when my big girl was a baby herself, when I held her for long hours by moonlight, thinking the dark night would never end.  I remember wondering if my own mother held me the same way, if she stayed awake the way I do now hoping the morning will be happy and bright.

She cries sometimes, wishing for a sister, and I feel guilty, knowing I have three and will not offer her even one.  She cries and then one of her favorite littles comes to spend the night, and she's in heaven.  The sisterless know better than anyone how desperately we need each other, how everything changes in the company of another whom we dare to call sister, to call friend.

May you wake, dear shutter sisters, on this bright winter morning, knowing how grateful we are for your company, for your eyes, for your lens, for your unique and beautiful way of seeing each other and this beautiful world.  Merry Christmas.

Leave a comment and win the chance to have one more little surprise to top off your holiday season.  Today's giveaway is the lovely Sisterhood necklace from Blue Poppy Jewelry.

Comments

[ELK]

what a very special post full of truth and light ~happy holidays to all my sisters here....

[Dree]

Merry Christmas

[Jessica]

Happy holidays! That necklace is so lovely...

[Stephanie Fox]

Hope you have a magical day.

[smallbluebird]

I love this photo. I lost my sister, whose birthday would have been today, Christmas Day. I miss her terribly but realize that I was blessed to have had her for 38 years and I cherish my memories. I realize now that some sisters are born in our families and some are friends who take on that dimension in our lives. Merry Christmas.

[Becky]

Beautiful!

[victoria winters]

merry christmas!!!

[ange]

and peace to all!

[shell]

my daughter feels the same! she is sandwiched between two boys. If only i could have given her a sister. Merry chrismas everyone.

[Vanessa]

with no sisters or daughters of my own, sisterhood has always seemed so intriguing to me....

[elianne]

merry christmas rom the netherlands, and that's such a sweet photo

[Bridge]

I have three sisters, two daughters and they are close with their cousins. My nieces both get the sister fix from the cousins. Merry Christmas, beautiful photo.

[Aileen]

Merry Christmas!

[TiaMaria]

Happy Holidays to all and what a great post to remind us to keep loved ones close on this day.. in our hearts or in our arms. Thanks for a wonderful post.

[Holly]

Beautiful photo and necklace!

[Shell]

Such a beautiful photo. And I have to say, I'm really touched by the necklace. The pleiades constellation was a special symbol to me and a very dear sister who passed away whenever we were still teenagers. Seeing it reworked in such a beautiful and apropos way makes me happy indeed.

Have a lovely christmas, all!

[Laura]

Merriest of Christmases and Happiest of New Years to all of you.

[Jackie]

I am a sister less one, but happily call you all sisters - Merry Christmas!

[Shannon]

Thank you for all the inspirations and beautiful words!
I hope everyone has had a great holiday season!

[Kathleen O.]

Merry Christmas!

[vanessa]

thats a sweet photo. merry christmas.

[lisa]

This is so beautiful. I am so grateful for many things this morning...to include all of the lovely soul sisters out there in blogland....Merry Christmas!

[Amanda]

Beautiful!

[Christina]

Merry Christmas to all my sisters!

What a beautiful, precious moment!

[Sherry]

"The sisterless know better than anyone how desperately we need each other, how everything changes in the company of another whom we dare to call sister, to call friend."
Yes.
I have four sisters, but my daughter has none. This statement is so true. In fact, our daughter has been needing her best friend (who moved to NC) so we surprised her and told her today that we were flying her friend here for a week - she's arriving on Saturday!

[Kelly]

What a lovely, lovely photo. This is perfect.

[Bet]

My own sister is 1500 miles away in sunny Florida & I miss her so much. Though we talk on the phone almost daily it's different. Today I spent Christmas with my nephew's wife's family and there is nothing as amaing as the bound between women. My nephew's mother-in-law, his wife, his wife's sister-in-law and I spent several hours holding babies, playing with toddlers and gushing over memories of the past year. I had made small photo collage prints for each of them compiled of photos that I hadn't shared during the year. The emotion that filled each of us when the prints were unwrapped was something that can't be desribed with words. My husband even commented later that he had looked over as they were looking at their gifts and he was taken aback by the intense emotion of it all.

Though my own sister couldn't be with me today.. these women and I shared something fantastic. It's a Christmas I will never forget.

[snickety]

Merry Christmas! I love that photo.
I received one of the gorgeous necklaces for Christmas -- alas, the clasp broke as I opened it to put it on for the first time! So I hope I win...

[Jennifer B]

Meerrrrrry Christmas, all!! :)

[nikkole!]

sisters are the best
merry xmas all!

[marty]

I have three wonderful, crazy sisters...we don't always agree and sometimes downright argue...but always the safety net of loving and being loved is there. I am raising four sisters of my own now...the natural beauty of that bond constantly amazes me.

[Sandra]

this is such a touching post....just beautiful!

[kristin]

what a lovely reflection for the end of a busy day full of emotion: thank-you.

[Jenny]

Beautiful, beautiful post. Merry Christmas.

[Golden]

Awww, so precious. And so magnificient that you capture moments like this. What a gift to share when they are older!
Merry Christmas!

[giggletwig (corey)]

Merry Christmas!

[karin]

beautiful ... makes me ache for a sister that my wee little girl won't have either .... but her brother is a bestie no question, and that too is so special ...

Merry Christmas!

[Elizabeth]

What a cute necklace! Merry Christmas!

[Stephanie]

What a tender moment! Merry Christmas to everyone!

[vivienne]

such sweet words. sisterhood is precious. my sister is on the other end of the country and i wish she were here.

i'm so grateful for the shuttersisterhood too...

hope everyones bellies and hearts are full!

[Amber]

beautiful post. i'm feeling the love.

[Cindy]

great necklace. Merry Christmas!

[Dina]

Merry Christmas!

[PunditMom]

PunditGirl so wants a little sister. She has two older sisters -- grown-up sisters from my husband's first marriage. But for PunditGirl, "sister" means a little sister, one who would look up to her, who she could take care of and play with, never imagining the inevitable fights they would have -- as I did with my own sister when we were young. If only I hadn't been firmly in my 40s when PunditGirl joined our family, we might have been able to make another sibling (a sister, in her mind, never a brother!) happen. I am hoping that her big sisters will suffice, even though it's not what she longs for now.

[t does wool]

lovely,really
Merry Christmas!

[Kodi]

This really hit home with me. My 3-year-old daughter is longing for a sibling. I have endometriosis, so it was a miracle to get my precious Emmarie. Maybe God will grant us another miracle. We haven't given up hope.

[Risa]

Lovely photo! Merry Christmas to all!

[Elle]

This picture made a catch in my throat. Thanks for the lovely Christmas gift.

[Lisa]

Merry Christmas!

[Brooke]

I too, am sisterless. It took me almost 30 years to find a true friend that has become more than I could have ever hoped for, in a sister. I am thankful every day for the bond we have.