Sisters (happy birthday to mine!)

Aren't we cute? But can you believe how our mother cut our hair?
Believe me in another year or two when mine
grew out I had the same bangs
as my big sister.

Today is my sister's birthday. She lives on the other side of the continent and I miss her every day. When we get together, there is usually a lot of inappropriate giggling (in church, most often), sarcasm with zingbang delivery, shouting from one side of the house to the other (lovingly, and sometimes not). My quiet husband shakes his head wonderingly at the volume we can create.

Growing up, our two bedrooms shared a
very thin wall through which we would
tap morse code after we were supposed to be in bed.

When I was little, she would give me spooky stares
from across the room,
the only purpose to completely freak me out.
I would run at her and duck my head
so her evil eye couldn't see me
and she'd pick me up upside down.

Until I grew smart enough to figure it out and
before there were remotes for the television,
she would make me get up out of my chair to
change the channel at her whim.
Often when I was on my way upstairs to get her a drink.

Can you believe that?

We loved watching "White Christmas" every year, and singing the Sisters song - you know the one, don't you? Watch it:

Like most sisters I know, we fought like cats and dogs as children and grew up to have a close friendship. Without any bias, I can say that she's one of the finest human beings I know. And she has two gorgeous daughters who I adore.

Lucky me. Happy Birthday, Sis.

(If you want to read a beautiful article about another set of sisters, please go here.)