Happy Birthday, Sis

We were born exactly one year and nine months apart to the same mother and father, although we don't look very much alike. When we were little girls, she had black hair and olive skin while I had blond hair and fair, freckled skin. She was always significantly taller than I was, but now I have a few inches on her. We shared the same small bedroom and full-sized bed for most of our school years, and even when we tried twin beds I usually ended up squeezing into hers before we finally shoved the two beds together. We have shared friends, favorite TV shows, favorite foods, and favorite songs, with a few exceptions. (Okay, when it came to NKOTB, she liked Donnie but I liked Joe.)



Let's face it, even sisters have different tastes, opinions, and personalities. We were a pretty good team, though, the two of us. When one of us was scared, the other was brave. I used to be terrified of having my teeth pulled, but she would coax me into the bathroom with a napkin in her hand and talk me into letting her do it. She has always been afraid of spiders, so it was my job to take care of them and hide the evidence. She didn't like sleeping by the window, but I didn't mind that much so it became my side of the bed. She was a leader and I was a follower, so for both of us you could say it was a match made in heaven. We did almost everything together. It's hard for me to imagine how her time was occupied for those 21 months before I came along! Our mom likes to tell the story about how she brought me home from the hospital and put me in my crib. A little while later she found Connie, who had climbed into the crib and was just sitting there, watching over me.

A sister relationship is a unique one. Although I know that not all sisters are extremely close, my sister and I were instant friends. Sure, we didn't always agree and sometimes we stepped on each other's toes, but we've always recognized that we have a strong bond. She is honestly the only person on the planet who can understand my history. She was there. She had the same school, the same home, the same family, the same parents who divorced in 1984. We shared in mostly the same joys and the same trials, even though we looked at them through different eyes (hers brown and mine green).

Now that we are all grown up, my sister is still my closest friend. Usually the same things make us giggle and the same things make us infuriated. She lets me love on her children and "mother" them in a way that most people might not understand. We've had separate struggles over the years, but we always find support and a listening ear in each other.

Happy, happy birthday to my sister and my friend through thick and thin!

(C & S 4/25/79)