I could never have imagined all we would endure in our futures
When we wrote backstories for our Barbie dolls.
We spent hours naming them, assigning them a family,
defining their past and who they were.
We were the gods of their identities.

I always remember that we made them into the women we wanted to be.
Strong, beautiful, and smart with loving families and a passion in their hearts.
Our Barbies were astronauts and school bus drivers and stay-at-home moms.
Now looking back I can see that we grew from those playroom dreams
Into women with strength to define our stories.
We found beauty in who we are and what we do.
We managed to keep our smarts, even through all our mistakes.
Our passions are opposite but still strong enough to lead us forward.
If only our Barbies could see us now,
Growing into who we were made to be despite what has happened to us.
It’s amazing how someone can be your childhood
And your future, all in one.

I will always cherish the things we share that you can only have with a sister.
Yelling at each other when the other one “borrows” your favorite outfit.
Cheering for one as she performs on a stage
And feeling the pride take your heart to the brink of bursting.
The primal instinct to protect and love and guide lives in my heart
And it is never afraid to show its face and stretch out its arms,
To do anything
for my sister.

m.h.