Bin grew up with her sister Kitty, and they are the closest sisters that I have seen.  Even with the Pacific Ocean between them, they still talk to each other almost everyday. “Having a brother surely is great, but the best for a girl is a sister.  Imagine having someone to share every bit of your feelings throughout your life, just like me and Kitty.”  Bin would often say.

So when Bin was pregnant with our second child, I wasn’t surprised at all that she wanted yet another girl.  As it turned out to be a boy, I know somewhere in Bin’s heart, she feels a bit disappointed, not for herself but for our daughter Sylvia.  In her theory, a brother won’t be able to understand and support a sibling the way a sister would.  Even I can’t say I disagree with her.  After all, girls, in general, tend to be more understanding and sensitive towards each other. However, at Liz and Allen’s wedding last month, I witnessed the strong bonding between Liz and her brother Alex.

It was time for Alex to give toast. With a microphone and a glass of wine in his hands, Alex was standing in the front by the newly-wed. As all the guests fixed their eyes on him, Alex took a look at his sister Liz and closed his eyes. Tears started to run down. Everyone in the room waited. It was quiet. Yet in those few seconds of silence, we all felt the strong emotions and bonding between the brother and his sister. Finally, Alex opened his eyes. “Those are real tears”, he started with laughter. Then he went ahead to tell everyone how close he and Liz were while they grew up togather, how Liz had always been his little sister, and how he had always tried to take care of her. Now it was time for this elder brother to hand her over to Allen.

At the end of his speech, Alex and Liz hugged each other, tears in their eyes. As I clicked my camera to capture this precious moment, I wished in my heart that Sylvia and Nathan would grow up to enjoy the same kind of bonding Alex and Liz had.

Love is the same, whether it is between sisters or between a brother and a sister.

Congratulations Liz and Allen!