If friends are the family we choose, then my closest girlfriends and I have happily filled our lives with sisterhood, even in the absence of biological siblings. I grew up as an only child, while my friends, Sarah, Emily, and Lisa each have brothers. Our friend Rachel sadly lost her sister to a long battle with illness a few years back.
Our friendship blossomed during our college years, and now, after 25 years together (yikes!), we’ve formed an unbreakable bond. With big hair, oversized sweaters, and wild eyebrows, we navigated the awkward teenage years between The Breakfast Club and Reality Bites, and we have the photo albums to prove it!
Our shared history is filled with the typical annoyances and deep affection that real sisters experience. By our junior year at our Boston-area university, we all lived together in a suite that often hosted late-night keggers, where party-goers would knock at our door wanting to continue their festivities in our living room. On quieter nights, I remember Vicky calling me from her adjacent room to discuss pressing issues, like whether I would donate one of my eggs if she ever faced fertility challenges in the future. (Spoiler alert: she ended up having kids of her own, and I got to keep my eggs!)
In our senior year, we moved into a sprawling house, where debates raged over who was responsible for buying toilet paper for the guest bathroom. (You can probably guess my stance on that!) But there were also blissful days spent driving to Walden Pond, reveling in the carefree essence of youth and the beauty of a New England spring. I like to think of us as a five-sided crystal, a pentagon of love, support, and occasional bickering.
After graduation, we initially stayed close, living in Boston and New York, but as life unfolded, we dispersed across North America—New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, and Montreal. While I miss them, the ache has softened over time, replaced by a comforting presence that reminds me they’re always there for me. In our younger years, attendance at gatherings was paramount—FOMO was a very real concern. Now, after enduring profound losses, divorces, and relationship challenges, we cherish every moment we manage to gather, whether it’s just two of us for dinner or three on a weekend getaway.
Recently, all five of us reunited in Miami to celebrate a girls’ weekend and Lauren’s birthday. Through the years, we’ve learned each other’s quirks and idiosyncrasies, which make us wonderfully unique yet sometimes frustrating. We carved out time for shopping at Lincoln Road, while I opted for a pool day instead of an art museum. The fitness enthusiasts squeezed in their morning workouts and coffee runs without holding anyone back.
Even amidst the occasional early wake-ups, schedule disagreements, or towel shortages, we couldn’t help but glance at each other with a shared sense of gratitude, whispering, “We’re so lucky to be here together.” Our five distinct personalities mean we won’t always agree on activities, but ultimately, it’s all about simply enjoying each other’s company.
When I became a mother to twin girls, I faced the challenge of understanding sibling dynamics, having grown up as an only child. However, I came to realize that my friends are my sisters. They taught me how to navigate needs and desires, respect different personalities, and, most importantly, how to love and be loved—even after annoying each other at times. Sisters, right? For more insights on this topic, check out one of our other blog posts.
If you’re considering starting a family, a great resource for questions about pregnancy and home insemination is the CDC’s page on infertility FAQs. For those looking for at-home insemination options, reputable retailers like Make A Mom offer quality kits.
In summary, our sisterhood transcends time and distance, offering support and love that mirrors the bond of biological sisters. Though we may not share the same parents, our experiences together create a beautiful tapestry of friendship that lasts a lifetime.
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