The bond between sisters is like no other. It is a deeply shared sense of love, loyalty, and devotion that is uniquely shared by sisters alone. A sister is there when you hurt, and she's there to share your joy. Sisters share secrets, sorrow, celebrations, and successes. Many relationships come and go, but sisters are sisters forever. The pages of this book are filled with warm hugs that tell your sister just how special she is. In this beautiful gift book for sisters, Philis Boultinghouse shares heartwarming stories of sisters whose love and commitment to each other saw them through life's challenges and joys, along with inspirational messages that speak directly to a sister's heart. You'll also find personalized scriptures by LeAnn Weiss and uplifting quotes about sisterly love. Philis Boultinghouse is the author of the best-selling Hugs for Sisters and several other books. She has served as managing editor for Howard Publishing since 1991. As a speaker to women's groups, Boultinghouse brings her understanding of the needs of women to her insightful writing. Married for thirty-two years, she is the mother of two grown children, Jason and Crystal. Chapter 1 A Sister's perspective Let your soul be at rest once more. I've been good to you...delivering your soul from death and your eyes from tears. May you walk before Me in the land of the living. My supernatural peace, which transcends all human understanding, will guard your heart and your mind. Peacefully, Your Father of Life -- Psalm 116:7-9; Philippians 4:7 Sisters. There's something about the bond of sisterhood that is unlike all other unions. There's the shared femaleness -- that alone is significant, but there's so much more. There's the unreasoning bond of heritage -- you're bound together just because of who you are. And there's the unrelenting bond of shared experiences -- you've shared secrets and Barbie dolls, Christmas mornings and roller skates. And then there's the inexplicable bond of shared genes and genetic codes that make it so much fun to say, "You look just like Mama Lou when you say that!" or "Your lasagna tastes exactly like Mom's!" But this bond, this sameness, has a strange way of bringing our differences into sharp focus. And sometimes we can learn qualities or perspectives from our sisters that we do not naturally possess. Take Mary and Martha, for instance. When Jesus came to their home, each approached her honored guest through her own distinct personality. Martha, the gracious hostess, took her responsibilities very seriously. She cooked and cleaned and fussed and fixed. Mary, on the other hand, took Jesus seriously. Everything else could wait. All other responsibilities were put on hold. The Lord was in their house, and she wanted to hear every word He had to say. On that day, Martha learned from Mary that, really, "only one thing is needed" (Luke 10:42). On another day, Mary may have learned from Martha the value of a job well done. Sisterhood provides a safe place to learn new ideas, to explore different ways of looking at life. The comfort of our sameness helps us relax enough to learn from our differences. So get comfortable. Put your feet up. Spend some time reflecting on the blessings of being a sister. You'll be glad you did. "When all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family, and friends." -- Barbara Bush Peace Like a River She didn't know why they had come. But here they stood, under the trees. Three sisters, side by side, arms around each other's waists. They were here to visit their brother's grave. It had been a little more than three years since Paul had died, but when people asked Michele, the oldest of the three sisters, about her siblings, she still spoke of Paul in the present: "I have three brothers and two sisters," she'd say. She firmly believed that Paul was still very much alive -- just not here. When her younger sister Katherine, had suggested they visit his grave, Michele had hesitated. She'd always had a hard time understanding why people went to visit graves -- especially people of faith who believed that their loved ones were with God. The person was not there. Why attach such sentiment to a grave? "Come on, Michele," her youngest sister, Mattilyn, had coaxed, "just come so we can be together." Michele had reluctantly agreed to go. She loved being with her sisters. She always felt an unexplainable joy and sense of completion just being with them. No three women could be more different. Mattilyn had the air of a businesswoman -- always organizing, always planning. She gave financial advice to all her siblings and even took care of the accounting for their father's business. Katherine was the maternal homemaker. Baking bread, going to yardsales, and refinishing furniture were some of her favorite pastimes. Easygoing and completely candid, she liked nothing more than long conversations of honest sharing. Michele's demeanor