Yesterday, while I was showing my apartment to one of the very last roommate prospects, my cell phone rang. It was my sister. I sent her to voice mail, since I was in the middle of trying to paint myself as a caring and responsive potential roommate and so it just didn’t seem like the time to say, “excuse me,” pick up the phone and start chatting.

I got back to the phone about an hour later to listen to the message. My sister may  be the best message leaver in the known universe. She often leaves messages in song. If I had the equipment or know-how, I would post the message here, but Apartment 2024 is just not set up for that sort of operation (it is saved on my cell phone and I would be happy to play it for all who ask).  It started out with her singing, “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” After two lines of that one, she magically transitioned into a rousing rendition of, “You’re Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady” before bringing it back home with the original song.  I don’t know how she does it.

We talked briefly tonight while I was driving home from latihan and she was sitting in a cafe in San Diego.  I was blabbing on about something unimportant when she interrupted me and said (without prompting or parental hints) “I am so glad that you are my sister!  I love you so much.”  I was stunned for a minute and started to tear up (almost missing my turn off Washington Ave. in the process).  I told her how happy I was that she was my sister, how much I love her too and how much it meant to me that she told me.  We promised to be friends forever.  I realize that this seems fairly schmaltzy, but the relationship my sister and I currently have is not the one that we went through most of life with.  We spent years at each other’s throats, fighting, yelling and nearly destroying one another. This is new and precious and I routinely send my little messages of appreciation out to the universe for helping us find it.

It’s just an added bonus when I get a message medley.