【WhenIwasachild，Iwasamazedattheideathatmysisterscouldbemybestfriends．Now，Iwouldn'thaveitanyotherway．Atthetime，theideaofmytwosistersbeingmyclosestfriendsseemedstrangetome．Wefoughtallthetimeovertoy】
When I was a child，I was amazed at the idea that my sisters could be my best friends．Now，I wouldn't have it any other way．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，attention，what to watch on television-you name it，and we quarreled（吵架） about it at some point．How could my sisters be my best friends？They weren't the same age as I．We all had our own friends in school．
My mother never let the three of us forget that sisters are lifelong friends．Her wish like most parents'was to give us something that she never had．Growing up as an only child，she expected siblings．When she gave birth to three daughters，her dream had only just begun．She had given each of us a gift and she wanted to make sure we did not take that gift for granted（理所当然）．She would often tell us how lucky we were．But there were other，more subtle （难以察觉的） ways that she encouraged us to grow closer．She never showed favoritism（偏爱） to one daughter over the other．She often took us places together-skating，shopping and swimming，so that we developed common interests．And when we were teenagers，Mom always punished us equally，giving us yet another bonding （密切相连） experience．
We didn't always get along beautifully and fought just like any other siblings．But somewhere in between Mom's lectures，the family vacations and the shared memories，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，side by side，even holding hands when we crossed the finish line．When my sister Karen got married，I was her maid of honor（伴娘）．Cindy and I traveled through Europe together and even shared a room for two years．The three of us trust each other with our greatest secrets．
It was twenty-three years ago that my mother first asked me who my two best friends were．Today she doesn't have to．She already knows．
53．As a child