Sibling Rivalry

Every now and then, someone wishes for something without weighing out all of the pros and cons. We don't usually hear someone say, " I wish I had to fight for a hot shower, hide brushes, hunt for clothes, and struggle to use the phone." But, we do hear them say, " I wish I had some brothers and sisters." Believe it or not, each of these statements means the exact same thing. I should know. I lived with four females in one house for seventeen years. Needless to say, each and every day was a war.

Every morning at five a.m., the alarm clock would sound to start the "Lowry House Derby." Each of us would jump from our beds and flee to the bathroom. It was imperative to reach the shower first or at least be second in line because of the limited hot water supply. The other three were doomed to make a decision, an icy cold bath or no bath. Second was the always-dreaded task of finding a brush. We all bought brushes on a regular basis and even branded them with our names, but come morning time they had all grown legs and walked away. If one of us did find a brush the discovery was kept quiet until we finished using it. Then, the brush was given to whoever hadn't, yet, stepped on our toes that morning. Next, we had the occasional borrowing-of-the-clothes-without-asking. This made getting dressed a time consuming and ill-mannered task. Spots, tears, and even color fading were blamed on the borrower. Finally, as each of us raced out the door, to school and work, the "Lowry House Derby" took a short break.

As we arrived back home from our eight-hour obligations, the derby would slowly