Tomorrow is my sister's birthday. For two days we will be the same age. It has been fun throughout our life to be the same age for those two days. It's not common. I think we're what you would call "Irish twins".
I want to wish my sister a Happy Birthday and dedicate this entry to her.
I cannot remember a time in my life when I didn't have her. She's always been a part of my life. My earliest memories are of us playing babies. Now, we didn't need baby dolls- she was small enough to be the baby doll and I carried her around like a proud Momma! I do recall sometimes being frustrated that she couldn't carry me around and let me have a turn at being the baby. But, this is life. We spent pretty much all of our time together, playing. I had a built in best friend and playmate. Once I hid her from Momma on the record player. It was on a sliding shelf and I sat her on the turntable and slid it closed and it took a LONG time before Momma finally found her! Another time we also took a "spin" in the dryer! I don't know if I'm brave enough to tell stories from after we started driving. Once, we "snuck" out of the house, but never left the backyard! I also remember "protecting" her. I can remember when she was in Kindergarten and I was in 1st grade some of her friends came to me at recess to tell me that she was crying and needed me. I came to her rescue and soothed her until it was time to go back to class. We shared alot in our lives growing up~ toys, clothes, friends, a bedroom. We also had our differences. Our personalities were, and still are, very different. I am more outgoing/outspoken. Okay, loud. She has always been more quiet and reserved. I was more of the "leader" and she was more of the "follower". I tended to be the one to get into more trouble, because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. (I know, this is surprising. But, it's true.) She was the one who clung to Momma, while I was eager to get out of the door and test my independence. We've had our share of fights, mostly as teenagers. I do remember visiting "fist city" with her a time or two. After the fight I would have to promise to clean her room for a week to keep her from telling on me. We didn't always see eye to eye, but we did always love each other.
We grew up and moved on. She had a baby first. I have gone to her for advice more than once. She is a great Momma. I admire how respectful she is of her children. She is always careful to never embarrass them. That is no easy task. She seems so sure of herself in her parenting. She seems very fair and never too lenient or too strict. When I come to her for advice, she always knows what to say and can back it up with a bible verse or two.
She is also a good wife. She takes care of her family well, even when she is so tired that she can barely hold her eyes open without toothpicks. I have never heard her disrespect her husband and is always supportive of him, no matter what sacrifices she has to make of herself.
She is a good daughter, too. There have been times when I have not been so polite to my parents. But she is careful not to cross any lines with them, whether they deserve it or not. She is also a good daughter to her Heavenly Father. She holds herself to a high standard and has a character rivaled by few.
She is a good sister. We don't get to spend a whole lot of time together, but I always enjoy our talks. The only thing is I wish they would happen more often. Maybe one day she will be able to quit her job and we can talk everyday again. When I think back on my childhood I usually think of the times when we were two pre-schoolers having the time of our lives. There are some good memories from my past and she is in all of them!
So, even though life has brought us in two different directions, we will always have a bond from simpler times. When our days were carefree and our biggest worry was not spilling the water from the tea pot onto the floor or who was gonna be Ken and who was gonna be Barbie. (I always had to be Ken, by the way.)
I hope that my children are making these memories. That is one of the reasons that I LOVE homeschooling them so much. We get to spend most of our time together. I love to see their unique bonds, their friendships. I pray that they will grow up and remain close to each other. I want them to be able to call each other for advice the way my sister and I do. I never underestimate the value of time. It really is precious and something that many of us take for granted.
I wish you many more birthdays, opportunities throughout the years to make memories so that one day you can look back on a life well lived. I love you. Happy Birthday, Pam!
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