These gloves belong to Aunt Ruth and her sister, Leah, who was also my mother. The stacking represents how I see the sisters. Aunt Ruth beams as she says, “My sister was older than I, smarter than I, and more beautiful than I. She is not diminishing her worth by admiring her sister. In fact, it is quite the opposite. She is proud of her sister without an ounce of jealousy. (I'm sure they had disagreements, but the adoration always seemed seamless to me.)
I am one of three girls, and Aunt Ruth has had to stand in for our deceased Mother, and like many sisters, we vie for her favor. She didn't give it. She loved us in equal measure just as she loved her brother and sister. This is not to say she didn't offer us counsel, and believe me, she was the first to point out a typographical or factual error on the blog, but editorial commentary and advice are part of an aunt's job. She loved each of us equally. She saw EVERYONE has worthy…flawed and worthy.
She taught me to see my sisters like the pile of gloves; pairs of hands to applaud each other's triumphs and hold each other when life is unkind. As sundown approaches, and we think about slights or other unpleasant behaviors, put on some gloves and offer your hand to others….especially your siblings.
Thanks, Aunt Ruth.
