She's been my partner from an early age. I would say my "partner-in-crime" but we were such good little girls it just doesn't seem fitting. If we ever did get in to trouble our punishment would come in the form of separation, and believe me that was torture for the both of us. We slept together for as long as I can remember, preferring to abandon one of our rooms for the others. We made up games, we shared secrets, and we enjoyed running through the woods together - building forts, picking berries and hanging out in the tree house our dad made us.
My sister is so very unique. As a little girl she was super picky about one thing: her socks. God forbid there were any "bunches" in her socks before putting her shoes on...the world was ending. Screaming and crying would follow. She's competitive. She's athletic. Anything involving a ball comes easy to her. She's kind, always thinking of others and never quick to say 'no' to something even if it means sacrifice on her part. She was a good student, one that studied and focused and was always prepared. She's smart...and an amazing, patient teacher. She's beautiful. She's a natural with children. She might be allergic to artificial strawberry, and she's never been able to smell a skunk. She's got a great sense of humor, she's witty and she can keep a really good straight face. She's got a great, effortless sense of style even though she doesn't think so. She's a worry wart. She's a good friend, a good wife and she's good to her dog. But when I think of my sister, one word comes to my mind: strength. She can take pressure with ease, she can set emotion aside, she'll keep you in check, she stands up for what she believes in and she is there for others when they need her.
Things weren't always 'hunky dory', as with any sibling relationship. She was always, physically, the stronger of us two and as kids she would often pin me down on the floor, straddle me and let her spit hang out of her mouth until it almost touched my face before sucking it back in. There may have been a time, okay a few times, where she actually spit in my mouth "on accident". What usually followed was retaliation of some kind, usually in the form of me drop-kicking her favorite Pound Puppy, Snowball. I hit her with my bike (it was on accident but to this day she swears it was on purpose), causing her to have several stitches in her leg - I have yet to see the revenge of that one! Obviously, no childhood torture was ever devastating enough to break our sisterly bond.
She's been there through some life changing moments. When I went off to college, she was there. It was so much fun when she came to college too...we worked at the same spot and even became roommates. We got matching infinity tattoos on our feet, to signify our forever bond. She was there when a boyfriend [my now husband] and I decided to move across the country to San Diego, made the days long road trip with us (she says she will always remember us belting out the "California!" song from The O.C. as we crossed the border into the state of California) and helped us unpack. Being away from her, and the rest of my family, for that long was one of the hardest times in my life. Engagements and weddings were to follow, first for her then for me. Her speech at my wedding was genius, a perfect mix of emotion and laughter. I so-very-much look forward to the future and what is to come.
A lot of people might wait until something life threatening happens to let the ones they love really know how they feel. They might wait until a special moment comes along, or the perfect time. I want my sister to know on every ordinary day of her life, and mine, just how special she is. I want my sister to know now, just how special she is to me. How proud I am of her. How much I love her. So this is my open letter to my little sister. Having a sister as a best friend is something you cannot plan for and something you cannot 'rig'...it is something you can only hope and pray for. I lucked out in that department. I love you B.E.T.
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