The rolling stone

I just finished watching The Family Stone and it's left me aching for Christmas. As an only child, I never really had the big holidays, surrounded by loud, crazy, and endearingly screwed up family. I know that sort of family only really exists in the movies, but I can't help sometimes feeling like I missed out on something. Having a sister, or even an older brother, to bounce things off of would have been nice over the years.

I never really missed out on that when I was younger, growing up as I did in a neighborhood full of kids my own age and their siblings of varying ages. It was actually pretty great going home at night to the peace and quiet of my own house. I had the best of both worlds - the busy companionship of my friends and the relaxing solitude of my only-childness.

It just seems that lately, more and more, I've been wishing for a sibling -- someone to roll my eyes at over dinner when my Aunt brings up politics or someone to cry with when we find out my Mom has cancer or to laugh at me when I've said something over-the-top ridiculous . I've got good female friends -wonderful friends - but there is just something so different about the sister bond it seems, that I've-known-you-my-entire-life kind of thing, that can never be matched by any other friendship.

I know it wasn't a choice that my parents made to have only one child - although I like to joke that they just got it right on the first try - but it still makes me long to have a big family myself, to create for my children that kind of loud, crazy atmosphere that I never got to be a part of.

I guess that's what good movies can do for you - they give you a little slice of what life can be like, leaving you feeling like your belly is full and empty at the same time. I just finished that movie with such a feeling of contentment, yet a longing for something more.