Happy Birthday, Sister!

It’s my sister’s birthday today. She was born nearly 13 years after me and she is turning 15, becoming a woman, as I roll into decline. Still, people are fascinated by how close we are either because of this age difference or maybe because, to the outside view, we appear to be different '“ she a bit brunette, me a bit blonde, she a bit reserved, me a bit unhinged. But they are proved time and time again wrong as we can often look at each other and think the same, strangest thing. Just the other day, when my mom hit the table in making a point, a proper Russian smack she gave it, my sister and I, without looking at one another, imitated the smack and immediately doubled over in laughter. It’s hard to talk to the two of us sometimes.

My sister cracks me up. She is one of the funniest people I know. And she really gets what is hilarious about our family. For example, my sister will say she doesn’t want to go to the museum, that she doesn’t really like classical art or something, and my dad says you MUST like it, and eventually the conversation escalates to where my dad will say something like 'œthe Mona Lisa doesn’t care if you like her, as so many people have admired her for so long', and in a semi-British accent at that, which will send her into hysterics of laughter because he will “go there.” So off to the museum my sister will go as well. I mean all families have quirks, but it’s just the best thing to have someone to share it with, someone who gets it, someone cool.

My sister is also actually fashionable, knows a lot about dogs, and listens to strange music girls her age can’t even normally process. These things seem separate and apart, but they hare the mark of a versatile person, an interesting person, a unique person, and a non-follower. Also, whenever she gets involved in anything, she likes to learn it 100%. So if you are walking down the street with her, she will passionately demand you download a song she likes, then recites every breed of dog she sees back to you, and whether the dog walker is wearing a proportional outfit for her body type. I think that makes for a great walking companion.

Finally, it’s not bad having a sister who is not only interesting and cool, but is just so compassionate and caring. How many times has she stopped to look and find something I am missing? Let me borrow something of hers? Assessed how I look and given me an honest opinion? Just given me time to hash out my problems, even if I am being silent? Probably more times than there are words in this post. One of my most cherished memories of that this year, was after a difficult time a little while back where I was literally slugging around the apartment for three days, she came into the room with a receipt for urban outfitters and forced me to get off the couch and return something our parents had gotten her and get something for myself that day. On the way back we stopped at Pinkberry and got frozen yogurt, and all was right in the world as we walked back in a happy, appreciative frozen yogurt trance, acknowledging all the papillions (her favorite dog that she really, really wants, but wont accept that our parents will never get) that crawled by (because they are like hairy alien worms – jk, I think.)

Cel, this is your special sister birthday shout out! I am so glad that you are here on earth, not just any sister, but specifically you, because you are the perfect person to share the ridiculousness of our family (great work on the imitations), to put my Snapple bottles away (which hasn’t happened in years, mind you), to share clothes with, to laugh and cry with, my bloody best friend (because we have the same blood, duh, though no one knows the type). I love you. Happy birthday. Now look behind you, I am about to give you a birthday squeeze!

Was this totally Awkward?