memories or lack thereof

I wonder where this year has gone. Mom always told me, when I was young and would say, "when is Christmas going to get here, or I wish I was older so I could.......", I would regret wishing my life away. I have no regrets, some bad memories but mostly the memories are wonderful, even the ones so painful I thought I would parrish at the time of the events. Yet as I am just this side of 50 I wonder what would have happened if I did have other memories or no memories at all.
I recently had the opportunity to read a letter from one older sister to her younger one by 7 1/2 years. Now I don't know the older one and after reading the letter I wonder why I would want to know her. She has her reasons I guess but after reading the letter my heart cried for the friend I cherish who is the younger sister.
The letter pretty much said the older sister had no memories of the younger sister and the ones she did have were not good ones. Claiming the younger one was jealous of her, making her life a hard one, and didn't want anything to do with her when their parents died. The letter was a long one, a tremendoulsy long one, a hurtful one, a letter meant to destroy.
The one thing the older sister doesn't realize is the younger sister while not perfect is learning day by day how to be strong, independent, and forgiving. Well she has always been forgiving, one of the nicest people I know. Too bad for the older sister. What she is giving up and frankly never bothered to have is truely a gift to all the rest of us.
I can positively say without any doubt at all, if given a choice in life, I do not ever want to meet the older sister and I can say to all willing to hear, the younger sister I is treasure from God. May you all be gifted enough to know her and share memories with her.

Marla