Me and My Sis

Sisters are friends by birth. They can be the best of friends or the worst of enemies. And if you have grown up with one, you’ve probably been both.

Today is my sister’s birthday. Yes, you read that right. Mine was two days ago. Hers is today. It’s been that way ever since I was born.

We were always collectively referred to as “the girls.”

We celebrated our birthdays together. Every year.

People always asked us if we were twins. We’re not. She’s three years older.

I don’t blame them really. She’s always been on the small side. Even now. We joke that she may be the older sister but I’m still the bigger sister. I don’t know which one I actually prefer.

We’ve been through a lot together. We shared our bubble baths.

We uncovered all our childhood secrets, including dear Santa Claus.

We saw each other off to college. Ahhh, dorm life.

I helped her with her wedding.

She helped me with mine.

And then our paths diverged. I became a mother. She did not. She embraced her role as aunt yet our life experiences seem to separate us.

We don’t talk as much as we used to and I miss that.

I visited her for Thanksgiving this year. We both ate too much. We both had tummyaches. We ended up having a few late night chats over antacids. And I remembered that we are friends.

While our lives have changed and we couldn’t be more different, I wouldn’t want any other sister.

Happy Birthday, Tonya!