by Patricia Arnold

Created on: May 04, 2009   Last Updated: May 06, 2009

In conversations with friends and acquaintances who were an only child, some have expressed that this was an ideal existence because it allowed all the attention and focus to be solely upon them; while many others expressed a longing for other siblings to play with and share life experiences.

Being the 7th of 10 in a family with six sisters, I can't imagine my life without them. I have learned and absorbed so much from each of my sisters. The willingness to try new things, a wonderfully eclectic taste in music, as well as, the ability to analyze and think things through to a practical solution. From the two yougest, I learned to allow my creativity to flourish.

Each of us have long been married and most of us have young adult children, with the exception of the two youngest, who still have school age children. The personality traits that I have absorbed by osmosis, are still very much intact, and make me who I am today.

S. Ann, in a picture as a toddler, was dressed as Shirley Temple, replete with curls and just as adorable, grew into a beautiful and alluring young woman. She introduced me to gourmet foods and fine art, as well as works of literature such as 'Wuthering Heights", which on my own, I would not have ventured to read.

J. Elizabeth had a flair for fashion that rivaled the models on the Paris runway. Tall and stunning in everything she wore, she had a definite eye for putting clothes together down the smallest accessory or detail. Practical thinking with a fun sense of humor, her examples of problem solving with analytical thinking, were great lessons to learn.

B. Denise, to me, as an awestruck younger sibling, was the definition of cool. She listened to the most eclectic mix of music, introducing me, (by default), to Led Zeppelin and Brooke Benton simultaneously. A deep thinker with a free spirit and a desire to see the world, she did just that; and at 18, upon high school graduation, she ventured out with travels that took her to Europe, initially, and finally, to New York as her home state.

D. Marie was a precocious child, gleeful with a playful sense of humor. We were most alike as children, enjoying sports of every kind, and watching the Three Stooges. Later as a teen, her taste in music exposed me to the great singer/songwriters of the '70's. In my opinion, she had the soul of a poet. Hardworking and fiercely family oriented, she cares for her family with love and dedication.

G. Lynn and S. LaNiece, the last two babies of the family, were both very

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