Opposites Attract?

My sister and I have completely opposite habits, opinions and lifestyles. And yet we are great friends. As my daughters were getting ready for school, I was thinking that they too are very different but wished for them the same closeness throughout their lives, even as I was discouraging one from color coding 87 silly bands and encouraging the other to at least wear shoes.

My oldest daughter wakens with a first-choice outfit and several runners up already in mind. She knows which shoes go best with each particular jean style (ie. flip flops or converse sneakers with skinny jeans, Etnies with boot leg). My youngest daughter wears whatever happens to fall on the floor when she pulls out her overstuffed drawers.

My eldest is a lot like me, which is a blessing and a curse. She needs to be organized, prepared, and in control. She folds towels like me (the tri-fold method), puts her clothes away in the proper drawers and wouldn’t even consider re-wearing any item of clothing in the same week. Let’s just say that whether something has been worn or sitting at the bottom of a stinky hamper for days is not of concern to her younger sibling. If she likes it and it’s comfortable, shake it out and you’re good to go!

So as I contemplate what the teenage years will bring, here are a few of the scenarios that I am imagining:

You know the saying “If you’re friends jump off a bridge, would you jump too?” First I see a gang of teens attempting to bungee jump over a cliff. My youngest is the first to leap without so much as a passing glance down to ensure she is actually attached to some sort of cord. Her sister is mathematically assessing the risk and contacting the proper authorities, in the order they are listed on her phone’s emergency contact list.

Next I see a tattoo parlor. My oldest is on the phone with me, informing me of her sister’s intent. When I arrive, it is too late. My youngest asks me why I have a problem with the cute little monkey she has permanently affixed to her derriere. The vein in my neck lets go as I tell her that I’m fine with it. Really.

Finally I envision a night with a motorcycle revving in the driveway. My younger daughter sneaks past us and attempts to hop on the back with someone who resembles Marilyn Manson. While I am urging her to rethink her dating options, my older one is jotting down his license plate number and asking what time he expects to have her back. As they pull away she is checking her iPhone to see if he is listed on the America’s Most Wanted Web site. She adds the site to her “favorites” menu, just in case.

I quickly return to the present. My daughters are unpacking their backpacks after a day of school. One takes out her papers, notes any important due dates and puts her lunch bag back on the counter. The other’s backpack is still out in the front yard where she dropped it after getting off the bus.

But as different as they are, I really do relish their unique personality traits. There is a wonderful sense of exhilaration and freedom when you are not bogged down by details or the constraints of constant order. Alternately, being efficient and able to take charge are traits that many great leaders possess. Each child helps me to see the world in a different way.

Even if one might be hanging upside down while she’s doing it.