Happy Birthday, Dawn!

Today is my little sister's birthday.  Okay, let's face facts... She isn't "little" anymore.  However, to me, she will always be my little sister.  To you, she is Dawn.  To me, she is Monkey.  To you, I am Jack.  To her, I am Frog. But, I digress...

On this joyous occasion, I would like to share a sampling of the reasons why I am so very grateful for her birthday.  Let's begin...

• When she was born, I didn't just get a new sister - I got a buddy-in-crime.
• She is the funniest person on the planet.  No one makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts and eyes water until I'm blind.
• Speaking of funny, no one laughs better than she does.  I've received a lot of compliments on my boisterous laugh.  I've been told that when I laugh - people smile.  When my sister laughs - people laugh.  Not because they are laughing at her, but because her laughter is so infectious.
• She has this great ability to not let me slide into being an asshole.  Yes, I said it.  But I have such a high potential for being an asshole, yet I've never stepped over the line.  Why? Because of her.
• No matter how badly I screw up, she is still on my side.
• No matter how amazing I think I am, she believes I'm even more amazing.  But she also tells me when she believes I'm not as amazing as I think I am.
• I have a permanent co-pilot for every adventure I go on.  And, sometimes, she tries to take the controls of our adventure(s).
• Every day she tells me I'm "stuck" with her "forever" and when I ask her if that is a threat or a promise, she tells me "it's both" without missing a beat.
• She will eat all the strawberries I'm allergic to, and I don't have to share my chocolate because she is allergic to chocolate.
• She is someone I can talk to about cameras, movies, and adventures.
• She is always willing to roll up her sleeves and participate in my hair-brained ideas.
• She misses the U.K. as much as I do and is always ready to talk about plans for a return trip.
• She wants a puppy named Lucy to go with the puppy I want to name Ethel (one day!).
• When I said I want to go to Antarctica and photograph the place - she asked what she should pack for the trip.

 And those are just a few of the reasons why her birth was the best thing to happen to the world (and me).

So today we're celebrating her birthday.  I admit, we started a little early.  Here she is with the bouquet of flowers she picked out.  And, chances are, we'll be celebrating her birthday for the rest of the week.  Why not? There is no better reason to have a celebrate!

And here she is with another early present... a little balloon bouquet - complete with Tinkerbell.  One day I'm going to have to get around to taking her to Walt Disney World... she loves Tinkerbell.    That's going on my "to do" list.

Hope you enjoy the day as much as we are going to.

Happy Monday! Happy Labor Day! And, Happy Birthday, Dawn!

Happy Birthday, Little Sister!

Today is this person's birthday... Who is she? Well, if you've been reading this blog on a regular basis you would know who she is but just in case you are new, I'll fill you in on the details.  This is my little sister, Dawn.  She is the Kirk to my Spock, the Watson to my Sherlock, and the Louise to my Thelma.  She is literally the best person I have ever known, and I am quite confident that she is the best person who has ever existed.

There is 11 months between us in age, so for the next 18 days - she and I are the same age.  Of course, when we were younger - I didn't heard the end of it.  Now that we are older... It doesn't necessarily matter.  What does matter is Dawn makes me laugh harder, try harder, and sing louder, so I refuse to go anywhere without her.  Her laugh is infectious; her smile is joyous; and, her adventurous spirit is life affirming.  She always smashes through other people's assumptions and expectations of her, and she never lets anyone get away without trying.

When we were toddlers, I thought she was my doll.  When we were kids, I thought she was a nuisance (because she tagged along EVERYWHERE I went), but when we became older teenagers and beyond, she became my first mate, co-pilot, and partner-in-crime. 

Today is her birthday... Today is the best day of the year because without today, I wouldn't have my Monkey.

Happy Birthday, Li'le Sis!

This is the extra special, amazingly wonderful birthday girl.  My little sister's birthday is today, and it is a time of great celebration.

My sister continues to buck the odds and beat everyone's expectations of her.  She has had a life filled with challenge after challenge, yet she has managed each of those challenges with superhero-type courage and skill. 

Last summer we were literally hours from her dying.  Believe me when I say "hours."  Last summer, she laid in a hospital bed, pale, non-responsive, seizing, and so close to death that her doctor - someone who has been with our little family through thick and thin and witness to what Dawn is truly capable of - was unsure if Dawn would survive.  But she did survive.  And after yet another surgery, not long afterward, she recovered with amazing speed and calm strength.  Yet again, she showed the world what she is capable of... She showed the world she is a superhero.

So, we're celebrating today.  We're going to celebrate tomorrow too.  She'll gets lots of reminders why we think she's a rock star, and we'll get an opportunity to revel in the fabulousness that is my baby sister.  Even better? She'll now have 18 days to remind me that we're the same age, so I can no longer "boss" her around.