Sister’s Circle
China Trip Series #5
Since my sister has been the heart of this trip, I’ve taken special interest in her circle, and I’m pleased to find her well-supported and living a modern life on par with many of her millennial peers. Her circle can be grouped into four main categories: friends, colleagues, family, and mentors.
For her birthday, we hosted a gathering with ten people — seven adults and three children — where I met most of her close friends and colleagues. Among them were three longtime friends from middle and high school, all from the same town where she still lives. One is married with a lovely young daughter, while two remain unmarried. Their stories with her illuminated different facets of her life and friendships that have stayed solid over the years.
I also met a close colleague, a fellow nurse in the OBGYN department at the town’s largest hospital. Since my sister’s divorce, she has been staying at this friend’s apartment, and they have developed a deep friendship. This colleague has a young daughter a year younger than my nephew, Neil, and the two children play together happily.
Another key figure in her life is an aunt who has supported her from the beginning. This aunt, once my uncle’s girlfriend, has stayed connected with my sister even though her relationship with my uncle ended, and she has taken on a motherly role for her. This aunt was instrumental in helping my sister secure her nursing position, supported her during her sickness, was there in the immediate aftermath of the abuse, and stood by her during the challenging first year post-divorce. After the party, we also visited her suburban villa and appreciated the more affluent lifestyle that was out of reach for our immediate family. It’s clear that my sister has a strong support group in these friends and mentors, who have witnessed her transformation and have shared in her journey toward a more positive and hopeful future.
In terms of family, she is deeply integrated into our biological family, which includes our uncles, aunts, and cousins. The family birthday celebration as shared in the last post was beautiful. She accompanied me for two of the four days I spent with family in Weihai, giving me a chance to see her interactions with them. Though our family has shared stories about me from my childhood up until age eight, when I was still part of their lives, they have fewer stories about her, as she was only one and a half when our mother passed. But in the years since we reached adulthood, new memories have formed, and our family ties have deepened. Our different upbringings now feel unique rather than a source of separation, and I feel genuinely happy for her in this newfound sense of belonging that has given her a richer social life.
While I didn’t visit her workplace, she shared positive feedback about it. She loves her role as an OBGYN nurse, enjoys her colleagues’ company, and has a good relationship with her head nurse. Unlike me, who’s always seeking new opportunities, she feels content in her position. Her current goal is to get out of night shifts, which can be very taxing — fingers crossed for that change soon.
All in all, seeing my sister surrounded by such a supportive network brings me joy. She is both fulfilled and well-cared-for, with friends, family, and colleagues all part of a foundation that is helping her thrive, and me rooting for her from far away.
