Chelsie, the younger, was known as “The Tyrant” in our house. She was our challenging one, the one who could turn a 3 minute time-out into an hour ordeal. She was the agressive one, and Hollie, who’s 5 1/2 years older than Chelsie thought she could not do anything to defend herself; she just had to sit there and take it.
My wife and I came home from a walk one night when Hollie was about 11 (we’d walk around the neighborhood, always in sight of the house) and found Chelsie chasing Hollie through the house with a pair of scissors.
But I always held out hope that when they grew up, the relationship would improve. My mother and her older sister were the closest of friends, and I kept using them as a model to my daughters. “Someday, we’ll be gone, and you’ll only have each other (well, plus their own families), and it’s important that you have the kind of relationship that you see your grandma has with her sister”.
They never failed to notice the closesness we used as an example, and I think this stuck in the back of their heads somewhere. Now that they’re grown (27 and 33) with families of their own, they indeed are the closest of friends. As Chelsie got into high school, her sister became her confidante; her advisor; and at times her rescuer. Chelsie would call her for advise on relationships, on school, on how to deal with us, and just about anything else you can imagine. Hollie always knew if the phone was ringing at 3:00 am (she lived on the east coast), it was Chelsie calling with some crisis.
As they got married and started their families, the shoe was on the other foot. Chelsie now had a degree in early childhood development and education, and had the first baby. She’s also a Headstart teacher, and understands children very well. Hollie is now calling her for baby advice. Chelsie knows that if the phone rings at a weird time, it’s probably her sister, who lives in Italy, calling for some help with her one year old.
They take care of each other, they advise each other, they celebrate with each other and they console each other. There’s not much they wouldn’t do for each other. They are indeed the closest of friends, just like they saw in the example of their grandma Phyllis and Auntie Irene. My hopes as they were growing up were realized (but we still don’t let Chelsie have access to scissors)
And now, we’re watching Owen and Kennedy, Chelsie’s children, create the same kind of relationship. Kennedy, 15 months, ADORES her big brother Owen, who’s 6 years older, and Owen has already told his first grade buddies “That’s my sister, Kennedy. Don’t Touch Her!” (this from the mouth of a first grader).
There’s something so special about these kinds of relationships. They can at times be tumultuous, but in the long run, who cares more about you than your brothers and/or sisters.
For this reason, we added Brothers and Sisters to our lineup of portrait sessions. Here’s an opportunity to capture this unique closeness in something that not only you’ll love, but so will your parents, who hoped you’d have this kind of relationship, and your children for whom you become a model of closeness.
As with all our portraits, these can be studio portraits, or Relationships style portraits, or storytelling portraits, illustrating something that you like to do together as a family.
Your consultation will help us design the perfect session for you, and then we’ll create a portrait series that will illustrate for all time. Call the studio at 503-588-0902, or fill in the contact form from the menu above, and we’ll set up a time to get together and chat about the best way to create something wonderful for you.
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