If only boys

If I only have boys, which I think is more likely at this point, since I have one already, I'll be okay. And here's why:

My sister texted me the other night to tell me that my youngest niece, who will be four years old in a few weeks, wants a Barack Obama t-shirt for her birthday. She keeps seeing him on tv and says things like, "That's Arack Obama and he's the present of the United Steaks."

In her shower this evening, she told my sister, "I wish my t-shirt didn't have the Bratz on them. I wish it was Iraq Obama." So my sister said, "You want one with him?" to which my niece replied, "Yes, I do. For my birthday!"

This isn't about her being a girl, this is about how I feel when my sister tells me these stories about her and my other nieces, her sisters, who are 6 and almost 9. They make me laugh so hard, and cry too sometimes. And, we get to see them often enough to catch an occasional glimpse of their everyday life - a soccer game, a school function, a church choir solo. I get to give them the occasional mani/pedi and braid their hair in ways that their own mom claims not to be able to do (although secretly I think she purposefully saves that stuff for me so it can be MY thing with them - that's the kind of sister she is). H loves them so much and they adore him too. And now that I'm a mom too, I know I'm not exaggerating when I say I feel like they're my girls too. Because they are.

So, if and when there's another child in my life (and no, we're not planning on that quite yet), if it's a boy, it will be okay for me to not be a mother of a daughter, because I already have three. And one who I have to go buy a cool "Iraq Obama" t-shirt for very soon. Plus, I'm pretty sure at least one of them will live with me at some point during her teen years or later when she needs to get away from her birth mom. If only she and I had had a cool aunt like me. Just kidding, mom.

Comments

[Mrs. Eggs]

As your sister, I hope you are up for the "Oprah talks" with the girls too - when we get past the shiny nails and cool hair. Help me then too, k? love you.

[Mom]

Glad you two have each other! I guess I got lucky when I had you two. Seeing you both together makes me realize how much I've missed by not having someone close to confide in growing up. I love you!