Maid of Honor

(sister of bride)

(excerpt only)

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Our parents traveled a lot, and I remember my mother leaving me in charge of “taking care” of Audra one time when she had a try-out for a dance group. She was maybe 9 or 10, and I was a teenager. I remember thinking this was such an important job, and being ready to give her tips and encouragement, and help her if she got nervous… you know, being the big sister. 

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Well, let me tell you that when I saw Audra getting ready for her performance backstage, I suddenly got the realization that Audra didn’t need any help from me at all. She was confident, she was ready, and she was by far the most talented dancer in the mix. And sure enough, when she took the stage, she had those judges enamoured. And I felt enamored too. I was beaming with pride for my little sister, and filled with the bittersweet joy of realizing that she wasn’t really a little sister at all. We were equals in every way, and in some ways, she could even be the big sister to me. I remember realizing at that moment that I had someone I could look up to. I felt a warmth in my heart at knowing that we both had something to offer each other. The years between us were meaningless. And the friendship between us was genuine.

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(end of excerpt)