Caroline and me

When Caroline and I were growing up, we looked like twins. I, being the little sister, loved that since I looked up to her. She... well, she probably was not as happy with it. Today, most people who know us now kind of wonder how we could be sisters. We do not really look that much alike, and we took pretty different paths in life before starting Maya Road. In fact, even today, David is surprised at how little we seem to have in common. I asked my parents once what they thought of all of this. My mom said, "We raised you exactly the same way, and you two turned out to be very different from each other. I think there are some things which are innate to your personalities." Okay, so she said it in Chinese, but you get the picture. I used to wonder how it happened also. One day, we were best friends making mud pies in the back yard and building houses out of pine straw, and the next, she was in college and we sort of lost each other for awhile. We were hopsotching all over the country with school, our jobs and our lives, and I guess it harder and harder to connect. I remember one particular incident while on vacation with my parents in Florida where it was the first time I had seen C in a long long time. It was the end of my freshman year in college and end of her junior year. We were chatting and she said something like "I do not really know you anymore." You know, stuff that sisters say to each other. And you know, at that moment, she was right. But the greatest thing about being family is that no matter how far you go, you are still related. You can not see your sister for a year and still hang out with her. And each time you see each other, it is okay to start anew. As I watch Jonathan grow, I am struck by how much I want him to have that with his cousin Noah and any brothers and sisters they may have. It is funny how over the years, C and I have had a relationship that has ebbed and flowed so much. Because David is an only child, he doesn't understand that give and take. But it is like it was when we were kids. You fight over something and then 10 mins later, you are best friends again. :)