Thursday, November 20, 2008

The BIG 21

By Tiffany George

Today my sister turns 21 years old. It’s hard to believe that at 3:34am some 21 years ago she entered my life. I can remember being downstairs at Mema and Papa’s when Mom and Dad told us the news of Mom’s pregnancy. I was so excited to get to have a little baby to help take care of, but I never would have expected this “baby” to become my best friend.

I can remember so many days since Katie was born when I felt more like her mom than her sister. The pride that I felt when she received MVP in volleyball and basketball in her 8th grade year, when she marched down the aisle as Valedictorian, when she made the choice to go to the Tech since she could do it for free, the countless times that she gets flowers for friends and family for no occasion, just because she loves them. Likewise, I have been there for her heartache and stresses, when I wished so much that I could take the pain away for her. Her happiness is my happiness; her pain is my pain.

Though Katie and I are eight years apart, it rarely feels like more than 21 days. We have had so much fun over the years, from Halloween parties and Christmas Eves to belly cast making and cookie recipe jar packing. Sure, I am older, so I get to go through triumph, heartbreak, college, marriage, and baby making before her, but hopefully she is able to learn from my joys and sorrows along the way. And while she is younger, I have learned so much from her about perseverance, family, Keith Urban, strength, and the unending bond that unites us as sisters.

Thinking of a gift for Katie’s birthday has become increasingly more difficult over the years. It’s not so much that she has everything (though she probably does) it’s that I just want to get her the perfect gift to sum up everything that she is to me. Now that she’s an adult, she probably won’t be wowed by me taking the bus home from college and hiding in the back of the chip truck to surprise her on her birthday, nor will a dwarf rabbit (RIP) do the trick. And while I will give her a gift for her birthday this year, I feel the best gift that we will always give each other is our friendship.

I love you Sister.

3 comments:

  1. Happy B-day Katie!!!!! :)

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  2. How to make me cry! Anyone that truly knows your and Katie's relationship will definitely understand and respect the love you have for each other.I swear the thing I am the MOST proud of is how much my children truly love each other. When Dad and I are long gone I know you will have each other to love and care for and that means more than words can say... Thanks for writing such a wonderful entry for your sister's birthday. Love Mom

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  3. Ohhh man...waterworks round number TWO at the Diamond Library here at UNH.

    Thank you sooo much for the post sister. It truly does sum up our lives as sisters. I have never, EVER, in my entire life had a friend better than my sister. You're always, and I mean ALWAYS there for me through the ups and the downs...and even when I'm super busy with school and work, we always seem to pick up from where we left off.

    I'm such a blessed little girl to not only have the best parents in the world, but also the best brother and sister anyone could ever ask for. Whether we're just hanging around the house playing with the kiddos or dancing it up at a wedding, I am always in my glory when I'm with family. You guys have made me who I am today, and I cannot thank you enough. You're my inspiration, my dedication, my drive, my humor, my stubborness, my tears, and most of all, my heart.

    For all the times I've been a wench*bag in my life...I'm sorry. I guess sometimes you really do hurt the ones that mean the most to you. I just hope you all know how much I love you and thank God everyday for what I have..

    *Best Friends are We, My Sister and Me *


    Ohh..and thanks for the awesome name sister :)

    -Katie Lou

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