My parents have done a lot of wonderful things for me. Let's see, there was that shiny red bike I got one Christmas, the chance to pick out my bedroom furniture and wall color when I was ten, and oh, yeah, providing food and lodging for the first twenty years of my life. All kidding aside, I can never thank them enough for all the blessings they have unselfishly bestowed upon me. But the one that really stands out; the one I appreciate more than any other is the one they gave me fourteen months after I was born - a sister.
Now, I haven't always shown my appreciation of this gift in the way I probably should have (there are rumors of a flying spatula thrown in her direction that took a gouge out of her bedroom wall - lies, nothing but lies) but since today is her birthday, there's no time like the present (and no cheap excuse for a present like a flattery-laden blog).
So, here goes.
My little sister is the most generous, thoughtful, kind, loving, supportive, encouraging (wake up everybody I've got a lot more), sweet, funny, creative, talented, hard-working, honest, empathetic, trustworthy, beautiful (I'll end with that one since, at our age, that's the one that she'll like the most) human being I know. She is ALWAYS there for the people she loves (and often, for the people she only tolerates). She is the best listener (something her older sister is still working on) and the best secret-keeper in the world (something her older sister has worked on and failed miserably). And she's helped me through more late night phone calls than a suicide hotline.
But lately, we've been sharing more than stories of our kids and complaints about our husbands (yes, boys, we do complain about you every now and then). We've been commiserating about our various aches and pains; the multitude of ways that our bodies are finding to sabotage our daily activities. We're experiencing the reality of our mother, grandmothers and great-grandmothers before us, except we're fighting with Whole Foods, yoga and meditation; we're fighting the natural progression of time with every tool at our disposal. Sometimes, the results are nothing short of amazing. Other times, like right this very birthday, someone's splintering body refuses to co-operate. And that's when it gets tough to stay strong in the belief that we can forestall old age forever.
That's why I'm so grateful that I have this amazing woman in my life. We are comrades in arms, perpetually ready to remind each other that our bodies do not define us; that they are just the shells that house our spirits. Maybe our physical limitations, as annoying and frustrating as they may be, are here to teach us something. Maybe we are supposed to slow down a little, exercise our brains instead of our biceps and make use of our knowledge and experience instead of our physical prowess. Most of all, maybe we're supposed to learn to be patient and not be so darn hard on ourselves.
Another birthday should be something to celebrate. Today, I'm celebrating hers.
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