"What's the matter with the men?" - a musical venture

Because it is Valentine's Day and we are all single (and most of you are single) and because we love singing/lip-syncing/the Broadway version of Cinderella, we thought we'd give you a bit of a treat. Suppose we had a variety show: this might be on it...and it's the first take so do forgive us. ;) Hope it gives you a laugh!

Love,

Rachel & Sarah

Older Sister Syndrome

"But really ma'am, I think it must be hard on younger sisters not to have their share of the fun just because the older sisters have not the means or inclination to be married."

So says Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, and so say I. I have always been the oldest sister of six in my family, and the oldest girl in my extended family. I only have one group of cousins, and the first girl in the Walker family is only 12 at present. So I unashamedly admit to not knowing how it is to have an older sister. I get vexed at my younger sisters for not listening to me over things, but how would it be to have someone always above you, always having the final say, always getting to do things you aren't getting to do?....Hmm...frankly, I don't think I'd like it very well. We must be patient with the younger girls, not knowing how it is to see a sister you love and admire off doing things, having experience and opportunities you aren't at the age to have yet. We get peeved when the younger girls complain over something we get to do yet again, but I don't think we grasp the idea of how hard it must be to wait.
This brings up a point: As older sisters, it is then our responsibility and our privilege to set our younger siblings up for success. One of my dearest friends is a younger sister, and she'll say with a half-smile and perfect good-humor, "Rebekah's in one of her Oldest-Sister moods!" And it makes me laugh, ashamedly, and squirm just a little, because I know I have those moments where the only thing on my mind is the mission at hand and everything else goes by the wayside. I don't think they happen frequently, {Thank you, God!}but all the same,  I'd hate to be reviewed like a book, and hear it said, "Rachel was a pretty good older sister...she bossed us a around a bit, and was always rather superior, and she was always too busy to do such-and-such..."
My my! Heaven forbid that would be my rating! [And just to calm you, I don't think any of my dear girls would say that of me.] God has placed us older sisters in our positions--we don't need to try to forsake that place, but let's use it kindly. We do have more opportunities than the younger girls--and that's okay. But I guess I would just caution us to not fall into condescension, like miniature Lady Catherines, and we must be careful not to be patronizing either. Our younger sisters are not our subjects, or our minions. I know from experience with my own blood-cronies that they are perfect candidates for the best of friends. Older sisters have a lot of say. We have clout, we have privileges, we have the blessing of more experience, hopefully more wisdom, and more years than the younger girls. But let's face it--we are all flawed, and we need to hurry and climb off our pedestals and just enjoy our sisters. :) ~Rach

♫ "Sisters, Sisters..."♫

♫"There were never such devoted sisters..."♫

 This afternoon was so beautiful--mild and light and lovely--that after our church family left, I decided the girls and I had better go take a walk together. I don't know how many more of these afternoons we will have before winter sets in in earnest. :) Sarah, the dear, remembered to bring her camera along, and we had an impromptu photo-shoot on the property line. Despite my aversion to pictures of myself (oh dear...time for another no-flour-no-sugar kick :P) I think these turned out pretty well on a whole. The only thing that wasn't ideal, was that we hadn't a lackey to take the pictures for us, so there aren't any of all four of us oldest girls together. Oh well, you get the idea. :)

Sarah, Leah, Anna, walking home after the shoot. :)

Anna and Leah (12 and 14)

Anna and I...

Bemused expressions, all. ;)

(Clockwise, Anna, Leah, me :)

Leah, Me, and Anna...yes, I am laughing maniacally.

Sisters...Anna and I both look rather dangerous there, like we're creeping up on Leah. :P

The kick line..

Leah and I :)

Sarah and I, after I rescued her from the camera and pulled her onto my lap. :D

This is *not* the general position of Sarah's eyebrows...pretty good picture of me, though. :)

 

Ka-chow! ;)

Oh Please, not the Golden Girl!

The other afternoon one of my younger sisters and I were having a bit of a heated discussion over the topic of being critical about people. It is a subject I have been trying to overcome in my own life...I used to tend toward being a bit prejudiced against people from first impressions or hearsay...rather a Lizzy Bennet in some ways. That is still my natural impulse, but over the last year or two I have striven to form my opinions slowly and be loving toward everyone, regardless of their personalities. And so this sister and I were in the midst of an altercation... ;)
"Why must you be so hateful about them? You don't even try to like them," I said, much exasperated.
This younger sister turned about in her seat (we were in the car) and said, "Your problem, Rachel, is that you're too much like Jane Bennet--always ready to like everyone."

I had to laugh...had I come so far in a few months that my sisters now liken me to sweet Jane Bennet? Then the answer dawned on me...Jesus has brought me far in this area of my nature, but the sinful impulse to be prejudiced is still there...He has just taught me to kick that impulse in the tail and instead to look upon my acquaintance in a charitable light. My next thought was this: But do my sisters and family see that struggle? It's nice to be squelching the impulses with such thoroughness that everyone thinks it comes naturally. But sometimes I wish my sisters, especially, could see the tendencies I strive against. The same younger sister (who happens to be the most outspoken) has told me a million times if she has once:

"Well, Rachel, you're just the golden girl."

Whenever she says that, I get a clammy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I hate it. I never asked to be the golden girl, and I don't like it that that particular sister believes I am the golden girl. She only sees the fruit of my walk with the Lord...I rejoice, in some ways, that it is so evident, for I feel Him working in my life and it is relieving to know some of that is showing through. But I had never thought before that perhaps that very fruit could be a stumbling block for my younger sisters. I know the younger girls (and there are five of them) all think I have this whole "perfect daughter" thing down pat. Sarah, more than the others, knows I don't, for she and I have Discussions late at night, but I'm sure she still wonders. ;) They think that just because I have learned self-control in many areas and don't often show my struggle on the outside, that I have no struggle. Thankfully, I can say with confidence that I don't behave like the classic teacher's pet. I don't try to woo and win over all the adults and be sickly sweet to everyone else. But my inward struggles...my sin, my doubts and fears, seldom show outwardly, and I guess my younger siblings figure they aren't there. I'm sure they think I have somehow reached a height of goodness, or at least success, that is legendary enough to side-line me with Jane Bennet.

And so I am left with a dilemma that I am putting prayer into, and I beg your advice as well...what to do? I don't want to be so worried about what they think that I shall take a backwards step and begin letting my struggles show outwardly. That would be silly. I know that whatever meek and quiet spirit the Lord has fashioned into my character (through a series of none-too-comfortable growing pains) is a good example to my younger sisters. I am so thankful that they see fruit from my relationship with Christ. After all, Jane Bennet isn't the worst character to be likened to. :P
But I never have, and never do want to be put on a pedestal as an example of the quintessential daughter...a pinnacle of golden sister-hood I never leave but instead deign to sprinkle a little of my fairy-dust on the younger girls and smile benignly from my heady heights.
No, for that is not the stuff true righteousness is made of. True righteousness recognizes the Giver of goodness. True righteousness only wants the glory to go to Him. True righteousness does not look down its nose at the sin of others, but strives to bring them to the feet of the King who makes all crooked sticks straight. The idea is to be so lost in Christ that an aura of His joy and love and peace surrounds you. Not to be so lost in self-satisfaction that we sit under stadium lights and let our siblings buy tickets to come and speak with us, that we may endow them with a little of our wisdom.

So my question, dear sisters, is this: How to show my sisters that I am not the golden girl? That I have to same ugly sin as any of them, and that it is not easy for me to behave as I do?