Who ya gonna call?

I’ve got a lot of friends, and many of them I’ve never even clapped eyes on. The high tech generation is in contact with hundreds, maybe thousands of people every day myself included, but who’s going to answer your call at three a.m. when your life has gone down the tubes? Your casual Facebook friends?  The Twittering acquaintances or texting buddies? The three a.m. people are the ones who really have your back and for me, that’s my sisters. I've been contemplating the value of siblings as I anticipate the release of my first Heartwarming entitled Return to Pelican Inn, which features Rosa and her twin brother Cy.

I’ve got three sister, and believe you me, we didn’t (and don’t) always get along. I have plenty of memories of snits and tantrums, jealousies and the occasional practical joke. I myself have to cop to taking the nuts out of my sister’s peanuts and gluing the empty shells together. Sometimes we could hardly stand each other and I’m sure my mother probably wondered why she kept going after kid #1.

I’m #2 in the lineup and I’ve grown into a… well, in the spirit of full disclosure, I can be hard to like. I steep myself in work when I should be hanging out with family. I am technologically inept to the point where my big sister had to inform me how to get messages on my cell phone. I’ve been known to forget birthdays, anniversaries and other important events. I demand huge hours of editing assistance from sis #1 to write my books and I’ve coddled my neurotic dog so much that sis #4 travels at great inconvenience to herself to “dog sit” so I can vacation. All in all, I’m not the perfect sister.

Still. At that dreaded three a.m. hour, who you gonna call? No question. Any one of the three would drop everything and run to help me. Sick child needing a middle of the night hospital run? Bad biopsy? Fire? Flood? Lost dog? Lost kid? Lost my mind? They are the people whom I can trust with the bad stuff, the ugly stuff, the scary things that all the Facebookers, Twitterers and Texters will never know about.

Who are your three a.m. people?

Comments

  1. Good morning, Dana! You're probably not as bad as you imagine, if they WILL respond to you at 3:00 a.m. Even family can leave you to fend for yourself if you're bad enough. My sisters are in Florida and Massachusetts, but they'll do what they can long-distance. I do have a friend though, sister in spirit if not in blood, who has been my buddy for 36 years. She's run to my aid more times than I can count - physically, emotionally, financially, every way possible. There's nothing in the world as comforting as knowing that kind of triple-A friendship is out there for you.

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    1. Love that term, Muriel! A triple-A friendship!

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  2. There's nothing like a sister :)
    My 3 a.m. person is my husband.
    And, can I use the peanut story in the book I'm working on now?


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    1. Of course, Tracy. My peanut story is your peanut story!

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  3. I've collected an odd assortment of 3 a.m. people - my brother, my personal trainer (now a dear friend), my critique partners.

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  4. When I lived in Washington State and my kids were young, I belonged to a Junior Women's Club. There were 3 of us in the group who had kids the same ages, and all of us bonded. We three knew we could always count on each other no matter the time or the reason. We still keep in contact, but don't know that any of us would now make those 3 am calls. I probably don't have any of those people in my life these days. Gosh, Dana, you really have made me stop to think about this. I love sibling dynamics. Looking forward to your book.

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    1. I think the "3 a.m." people can change over the course of a lifetime. Some folks who were steadfast when I was younger, have moved out of my life. I am fortunate that my sisters all live close. What a blessing!

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  5. Dana, I am the youngest of five in my family--three girls. My sisters are most definitely my 3 am people. My sister closest to me in age or #4 and I often joke that when we were young we were together so much and always lumped together that we didn't have our own names--it was one "TammyandCarol." She does the dog sitting for me and I do the kid sitting for her--both of us happily rearranging schedules for the other. She is also my manuscript 'critiquer.' There is no greater feeling than the truly unconditional love of a sister!

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    1. Excellent, Carol! There is nothing like sister. They stay with you "cradle to grave" as I tell my girls.

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  6. My 3:00 a.m. people are first my husband and then my friend of 35 years, Rachelle. When my life is invaded by some of the things you mentioned, I can count on them to be there with me. Sometimes friends are closer than siblings. But I'm thankful and grateful to have true friends and a loving sister too. Thanks for the great post, and I like your book's cover and title.

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    1. Thanks, Laurie. That's my sister's name too and she's AWESOME!

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  7. My 3AM people are my mom, my hubby. I don't have any sisters - I have two younger brothers who would not be happy with me calling that late at night (although they have called me after I've gone to bed more than once!) I do have an awesome sister-in-law who would let me call her whenever I need her. Your story looks great, Dana!

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    1. Thanks, Amy! Glad to hear brothers can be awesome too. I don't have any of those!

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  8. Love this post, Dana! I have two sisters and a brother. I'm also #2 and technically a middle child because three of us are 2 years apart, but my little sis came loooooooong after us LOL. My 3am gals would be my sisters. I'd be too shy to bother anyone else lol. And love your cover! I have a weakness for beaches.

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    1. I'm a number too as well, Rula, and my youngest sister is 14 years younger than I am!

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