Pleiades Bee

I think the boys are sometimes baffled by Sophie. On this day, in early August, she picked out their outfits (note they’re both wearing plaid shorts and mismatched shirts). She’s very loving to them, sometimes, aggressively so. She doesn’t just hug them, rather she tackles them with hugs, pats them (sometimes too hard) on the back over and over while saying “I love you bud” through gritted teeth, and shakes their hands. My favorite, though, is when she pins them on the floor and tickles them. Their laughs are so deep, so real, so sincere.

Someday, though, I suspect the boys will be bigger than Sophie. I remember wrestling with my sister and brother when I was little. Although we fought, sure, our fights were always verbal. The wrestling was fun wrestling, for the most part, a pile of arms and legs flailing on the family room floor. Being the oldest, I was the strongest. For awhile.

I vividly remember one family room match with my brother, surprised as he smiled down on me, while pinning me to the floor. Although younger, suddenly, he was stronger.

It’s coming, Sophie. It’s coming.

“Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring—quite often the hard way.” —Pamela Dugdale