There is something very special about a sister or brother. They fill a place in our lives that no one else can ever replace. I can think of many things my sister has done for me over the years, from the time I was a little girl right up to today. She made clothes for me when I was a girl, was always there and let me live with her for two years. One gift she made said, "A sister is a forever friend."

When we were raising our children my sister and I were both busy and we didn't have an opportunity to see each other very often, but our friendship has remained over the years. Even though we are separated by 800 miles we write to each other weekly and sometimes talk on the phone.

When my three girls were still very young I worked in Denver for a year. One day on the steps of the capitol building I watched a brother and his little sister. He was teasing her and making her cry. That scene replayed itself through my mind and I determined to teach my daughters to be kind to each other. My husband and I tried to teach them that even though they might have squabbles among themselves they needed to stand together.

One time when the girls were little a neighborhood girl came over to our house quite often to play. Her mother and I were good friends, but the little girl liked to pick on my daughters so she could see them cry. I couldn't do much about it, because her mother and I were friends, but I did teach them the wisdom of "United we stand, divided we fall."

The next time the little girl came over to play she started picking on them and all three girls picked back. This time it was her who ran home crying. She stopped teasing and played better after that.

My Linda was a little mother type who tried to watch over her younger sister, Lois. She patiently taught her how to ride a bike, gave her bossy advice and mothered her. There were times I felt that even though she was only two years older than Lois SHE was the real mother, not me.

When Linda was in the 6th grade the three of them rode the bus to school. A girl in high school started teasing Linda. Every day she came home upset because the girl had been picking on her, until we decided that something had to be done. Her Dad informed her older sister that it was time for her to defend her little sister. Lorraine was in the 8th grade. She was a quiet confirmed bookworm who probably hadn't heard a word of what was going on with Linda and the older girl, because she had her nose stuck in a book, but now she started listening.

The next day Miss Quiet Bookworm was waiting. When the high school girl started picking on Linda, Lorraine told her to shut up and leave her little sister alone or she would personally take care of her. The remark was met with shocked silence. Linda said that everyone on the bus was surprised because Lorraine was usually so quiet. Even though she was in high school the older girl didn't answer. Lorraine was calm and generally good-natured but when she did lose her temper people sat up and took notice. Apparently the older girl believed this younger Junior High school girl. Linda that evening was bursting with pride because her big sister defended her. The high school girl never bothered Linda again.

That was over 30 years ago, but the tradition of taking care of little sisters is still alive and well in our family. My two-year-old great grandson Ronnie won't let the other kids go near his little three-month-old sister. Apparently he's afraid they will hurt her so he's determined to protect her.

Ronnie loves music. Even when he was a baby when we sang or music came on the radio or the TV he cuddled down and listened. When he sleeps at our house and wakes up in the night I sing him back to sleep with songs such as "Jesus Loves me" and "Jesus Loves the Little Children." He always lies there quietly until he goes back to sleep.

Ronnie's baby sister, Alyssa, got a musical Teddy Bear for Christmas that hangs on her crib. If you pull on a string it plays a cheery little tune. Ronnie's room is next to Alyssa's. His Daddy remodeled his bed and painted it a bright red. It is lower now, so Ronnie can get in and out of bed without any problem. The other morning Alyssa woke up at 4:30 a.m. Her Mama heard her crying and started to go and investigate but Alyssa stopped crying. Mama Kara heard music coming from her room. The Teddy bear was playing. In a short time Mama went in to investigate. There was Alyssa's two-year-old big brother sleeping beside her crib. When Ronnie heard his little sister crying he went in to comfort her. He knew music is soothing, so he pulled on the string, then he laid down beside her crib to watch over her and went back to sleep. When Mama found him she put a blanket over the little helper and he continued to sleep.

A sister or a brother fills a place in our hearts that can never be replaced. A sister or a brother is a forever friend.