Happy Birthday Seester

24 years ago yesterday Linda made her way into this world.  In about the only totally planned thing in her life, she arrived via a planned c-section and my days of being an only child were gone after a good four and half year run.  I remember that morning sitting at my grandmas house waiting for the phone call to let me know if I had a little brother or sister.  My dad and uncle picked me up that night and we went to the hospital to go visit both her and mom in the hospital during a really bad snowstorm.  I could hardly wait the next few days for her to come home so I could get my grubby little hands on that little "doll" telling everyone at preschool that I had a baby sister and her name was Linda.  There's a picture of that first day when she came home to capture the moment me in the couch legs sticking out in front of me rocking my Super Bowl Champs Bear t-shirt, jeans and my all time fave jelly sandals over white gym socks. 

The enthusiasm for that baby sister lasted a few weeks and then after that I think it kind of wore me down.  She was the most easy going baby that ever was while I had been the one to keep my parents up for the first year with colic.  She didn't have many needs, letting me do most of her talking until she was about two and a half.  Linda's always been the yin to my yang which while refreshing to our parents on occasion gave way to major differences in opinions starting at the time I hit about 8 and lasting until I was at least 21 or 22.  Sadly there were lots of missed sisterly bonding moments that I let get past us being the older sister.  Now that she's living in Paris full time we communicate mostly via the internet, but frequently so we know what's going on in each other's lives and of course so she can have her Olivia updates. 

While we still have our differences in approaches to living life, I think we're both comfortable with where we're at and able to enjoy the time that we do spend together.  We also do have a number of similarities particulary where they apply to a working woman and the fact that we expect to be equal partners within our respective relationships.  Over time I would expect that the similarities become even more frequent and hopefully she'll be living stateside again before I'm old and gray.  As for today, we're content to skype and gchat up a storm to stay in touch.  I do miss her daily and value her opinion even if she is the younger more inexperienced sister! (I'm sure shaking her head right now at that).  So with that last parting bit, Happy Birthday Linda and know that I'm very proud of you, love you dearly (even if affection makes you uncomfortable), and couldn't ask for a better younger sister.   Are you sufficiently embarassed now?  I could have had everyone sing to you at lunch on Saturday but I didn't want a repeat of your 5th birthday where you burst into tears at Chuckie Cheese. 

Love you