ODE TO MY SISTER

Of all the people in my life, I cannot imagine my life without my older sister, Crystal. I have never known a day without her and have never imagined one. She is my confidant, my counselor, my therapist and friend. She is my ‘brutally honest’. No matter what, she will tell it like it is – no holds barred – and I count on her for that. She actually asked me once if she had overstepped her bounds – not possible! She is brilliant, funny, pretty, scared of heights, has read every book ever written, speaks 14 different computer languages, could probably still beat me up if she had to. She is my strength and part of my soul.

I can sense when she is going to call me minutes before she actually does and I feel her pain and joy as deeply as it were my own. She is the only one who cried when she found out I was pregnant, including me, and was the only one who actually talked to my belly, including me. Our hair waves in exactly the same place, we both sound the same on the phone, we act more alike than either of us will ever admit and we have been sparring with movie quotes for so long, it’s almost a second language.

In all my memories, she is there. I kept every letter she ever wrote me when I was away from home at bible school, and then of course, used them against her at her wedding, but hey, what are younger sisters for. I know every button to push to get her to laugh, to get her to look at me and stick her tongue out, and of course, to launch into an hour long lecture on the analysis and structure of life and goal setting. She is the only one I ask if these pants make me look fat and want and get an honest answer. She notices every time I get my hair cut and we have frequently purchased the exact same pair of glasses or item of clothing without knowing it.

I am blessed to have had and still have strong and godly female role models in my life: my grandmother, my great aunts and my mother. I add Crystal to this list. Not just because she’s almost 40 and I think she’s old, but mostly because, well, she’s 40 and old (anybody notice that big huge button I just pushed?????). And well, old enough to be adored. And with my heart and soul I adore this wonderful and giving person to whom I would not be half the person I am. Thank you dear seestra.