From Austin to Boston

Today my sister C called me from Austin in need of the kind of sympathy that only a sister can give - total, non-judgmental, my-heart-aches-for-you sympathy. Sisterly sympathy doesn't concern itself with what a idiot/whiner/neurotic you're being, and sisterly sympathy never involves the phrases "I told you so (of course he'll notice you've sold his dog on ebay)!" or "What did you think was going to happen (you're sleeping with two men at once)!". It's an unwavering kind of sympathy that disregards all periphery aspects of the situation and hones in only on your immediate pain. Sisterly sympathy allows you to be there when your sister isn't being a particularly good person, or makes one bad decision after another with such reliability that you almost want to applaud her consistency. Or, when your sister's life seems idyllic to everyone else, but she just wants to complain about something completely trivial. It's the kind of sympathy you give when there is no debate as to on whose side, when it comes down to it, you're going to fall if and when the shit hits the fan.

It's nice to know that there are people out there who can give you that kind of sympathy. Hopefully you won't need it often, but it's an invaluable thing to call upon. Especially during those moments when things in your life haven't gone quite as you've planned, and you're all out of explanations.

Or those moments, as was the case with C today, when everything you're eating lately tastes "a little more citrus-y than usual". Hey, it can't always be a crisis.