I have the most fabulous sisters in the world. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but really, it’s true.

When I lost my passport in the stupid taxi in Berlin (notice, it’s the taxi’s fault…not mine), I was okay until I got on the phone with the taxi company and there was no communication happening. I lost it. I just started crying on the phone. It was awful. I went over to where Tanya and Erika were sitting and Erika just took over.

I am pretty good in a crisis…when it’s not my crisis. I didn’t even know where to begin, other than I knew I needed to cancel my credit cards. So that’s what I did. Meanwhile, Erika was on the phone with the emergency embassy people (or whatever they are called) figuring out how the heck we were going to get me home (eventually)*. In the end…it all worked out, but I don’t know what I would have done had she not been there to keep the stress level down.

Today, it was the other sister that came through for me. I had a not-so-fun conversation last night with a friend of mine. As most of you know, I am a pretty straight-forward person and tend to tell it like it is. Well, last night I got a little taste of my own medicine and guess what…it didn’t taste so great. So, this morning my sister called (for other reasons) and I ended up telling her about this conversation and how not fun it was.

And this is why I LOVE my sisters…rather than tell me that what this guy said wasn’t true or that he should have said that, she said, “Well, he has you figured out, doesn’t he?” This is exactly what my mom would have said, if she were still alive, and this is why I adore my sisters.

I know there are some people who probably wouldn’t love that (and don’t get me wrong, my sisters know when to “just be nice”…because I tell them when I need them to “just be nice”), but I really do. I love knowing that there are these two people in my life who love me unconditionally (thank goodness) and part of loving me unconditionally is being able to see all my flaws and still think I’m fabulous (or something like that). And really, my brothers are pretty great, too.

My sister’s final words of advice to me this morning? “Well it sounds like you’ve got some things to work on.” She did let me dwell on the problem at hand, or make excuses. She was just matter of fact about the situation and then it was time to move on. At which point she went on to tell me how proud I should be of her because she actually told this nurse off at work. (My sisters and I tend to have opposite problems; I say too much…they say too little.) And proud of her I was.

I wish everyone could have my sisters because really…they are fantastic!

*The end of that story is that, by some miracle my cousin managed to convince the airline in Berlin to let me on the plane to Paris and the next day I spent three hours in the consulate getting and emergency passport. I love Paris…and was so happy to be in a country where I spoke the language!