I don’t think my two older sisters know how much I appreciate them. My mother was schizophrenic, and although she lived with me my whole childhood, her mental illness prevented her from being much of a mother. She loved me, and I loved her, but she was more like a younger sibling who always got in your stuff and caused trouble. My two older sisters stepped up and helped to fill that motherly void. They were eight and six years older than myself. Just babies themselves now that I think about it. Well, they protected me, fed me, and clothed me. They did all this without ever once making me feel like I was a burden to them. I am especially grateful to my oldest sister who carried the heaviest load.

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.Author Unknown

I thrive on novelty. When at a restaurant, I’m always ready to say “Pass me that blobby stuff.” If I don’t like a dish, I figure I’ve learned from the experience. As carefree as I am at applying this “try new things” philosophy to foods and other trivial matters, I’m painfully cautious when it comes to more serious matters in my life. Should I apply for that job? What if I’m stuck with a horrible boss? What if I hate the work? I’m much less adventurous with bigger aspects of my life because if they don’t work out I tend to see them as failures. Maybe it’s time to take a lesson from the “blobby stuff” and realize all the decisions in my life require me to take a big bite out of the unknown.

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.Thomas Edison