The wit and wisdom of my sister Fran

Not only am I the middle of the middle in my family, I'm also the middle of the six girls, a distinction I share with my twin Jean. But I digress. As the middle girls, Jean and I have a sister who is ten years older and one who is ten years young. Nice symmetry.

Fran, the senior sister, has many pithy little sayings that have helped me out of more than one spot.

• Relationships: "You are going to the bank for a quart of milk". Translation: you are asking for something your beloved simply doesn't have to give.
• On communion: "God wants his children to come to the table. Surely you don't think he picks out some of his children and tells them to go away?"
• Troubled times: "God never closes one door without opening another". This is my least favorite, while I agree that this might possibly be true, I caution her to watch out for all the shit in the hall.