I'm telling Mother about a new girl in school,and she suddenly looks up and says,"Who're your two best friends?" I'm not sure what to say.I've been friends with Jill since I was three or so,and I really like Jaime,a friend in kindergarten."Well,what about Karen and Cindy?" She seems upset,like I hurt her feelings."But they're my sisters." "Yes,but they can still be your best friends.Friends may come and go,but your sisters will always be there for you." At the time,the idea of my two sisters being my closest friends seemed strange to me.We fought all the time over toys,food and attention.How could my sisters be my best friends?They weren't the same age as I.We all had our own friends in school.But my mother never let the three of us forget it:Sisters are lifelong friends.Her wish was to give us something that she never had.Growing up an only child,she longed for siblings  .When she gave birth to three daughters,the fulfillment of her dream had only just begun.She'd given us each a gift and she wanted to make sure we did not take that gift for granted.She'd frequently tell us how lucky we were.She never showed favoritism to one daughter over the other.And when we were teenagers,Mom always punished us equally. We didn't always get along beautifully and fought just like any other siblings.But we realized that our mother was right.Today I share things with my sisters that I do with no one else.My sister Cindy and I ran the New York City Marathon together,sidebyside,even holding hands when we crossed the finish line.When my sister Karen got married,I was her maid of honor.The three of us trust each other with our greatest secrets. It was twentythree years ago that my mother first asked me who my two best friends were.Today she doesn't have to.She already knows. What's the author's greatest gift?
The friendship of her different friends. What her mother did for her. The love of her mother for her daughters. Both of her sisters.