A LOVE LETTER – TO MY SISTER

{Not only is my sister an incredible person. She is g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s.}

Ever wished you had received an old-fashioned love letter? Maybe you’re a total head-in-the-clouds romantic… but, get real. We live in the age of the text message and the emoticon (Today’s love letter goes a little something like this: “You look hott babe ;)”)… Maybe you’ve been fortunate enough to receive one (he must have had an incredible… and likely uber-controlling… mother).  Why don’t you take some control and write one.  No no no… not to him.  To her.  If we’ve been living correctly, we all have a “her” (or many!) in our lives.  She could be your mother (you can tell her anything/everything and she loves you unconditionally).  Your sister (my love letter {well, love list} to her is below… keep reading!).  Your best friend(s). A co-worker. A professor/mentor/boss.  Whomever.  If she has inspired you, been there for you, made you laugh, etc…. take the time to write her a love letter.  Chances are… she’s always wanted one, too (we’re all a bit ditzy when it comes to love). So… make it happen. She deserves it.

{My little sis dressed as a bride, left, and me (I’ve always had a thing for tiaras)… We have a wonderful love story}

To My Little Sister,

I wanted to let you know how very much you are loved.  I’m not saying this for any particular reason, other than I think you should know how incredibly wonderful you are and that someone in your life (namely, me… your big sister and best friend for the past twenty-four years) feels overwhelmingly grateful for you.  The top seven reasons that you are WONDERFUL are as follows:

1. You are the ultimate Happy Hour date.  You always have fun and interesting things to say.  You never turn down a $5 blood orange margarita.  You eat the chips with me (as opposed to other, less cool, carb-obsessed women).  You are a fantastic listener when a few too many of the aforementioned margaritas enter my system and cause me to go on a miniature tequila induced verbal tirade.  You say wise things and silly things.  I like when you say wise silly things.  Overall, you’re the perfect date: You come prepared with funny stories, random facts, and unusual jokes (see number 3 below). You pretty much always offer to pay the bill (silly girl. you know that’s not going to happen on my watch!).  You also always look incredible and dress perfectly for the location/occasion (see number 2).

2. You are major Arm Candy. You are a total knockout. Just as a man feels proud to have a looker in his company, so do I (how cool am I? Yes, I get to hang out with a total beauty each and every day).  You have legs for days, hair Rapunzel would envy, and a (totally genuine) mega-watt smile.  The best part about you is that you turn heads and never even notice (but I do. And I’m protective. You know this. Warning to the men: if you look at my little sister for too long, I am not responsible for my reaction).  You are the kind of beautiful that is rarely attainable because you have a beauty that is all wrapped up in sweet, innocent, wonderful humility.

3. You are funnier than Penn & Teller.  Wait, which one is the one that doesn’t speak in the act? You’re funnier than that one. I’m kidding, love muffin, you know that.  The funniest part about you is that you think you are totally un-funny.  You pause before the punch line in a joke, worried that you’ll mess it up.  That’s. the. best. part.  It is your delivery (so very unique to you) that makes you unbelievably funny.  You can make me laugh like crazy at any given moment. And your facial expressions when you’re trying to be funny?  Don’t even get me started.  They. kill. me.

4. You are an Unapologetic Romantic.  Thank you for putting up with my cynical (i.e. realistic) view on love.  But, above all else, thank you for keeping my mind (and the minds of those around you) just a little bit wrapped up in the Disney Princess mentality.  In this day and age, where it’s totally “uncool” to be super in love with love… you just are.  You are open to love and all the possibilities that it has to offer.  You believe in Prince Charming. And violins. And slow dancing. And Cupid. Thank you for really truly believing in these things.  What a gift you are to the rest of us. Your attitude has an effect that is the equivalent of handing a young woman a tiny thread tied to a little love balloon floating high up in the sky.

5. You have a memory like the Sphinx. (I know there is no indication that the Sphinx has a great memory… he’s essentially a huge lump of sand. But odds are high that if there were a myth written about him… his sharp and unwielding memory would be mentioned.) I so admire your ability to memorize everything. Remember when (duh, of course you do) you thought you couldn’t do well in your Astronomy course because you had to remember so many different (and, well, incredibly trivial) things? And then you got an A+. Not just an A. The professor took the time to put a + on there.  You memorized everything perfectly. That leads me to a sub-point of why I love you: you can do anything. And always do. And always start off thinking that you can’t. I remember when you went to college and you were super nervous. You thought you wouldn’t do well.  Fast forward to your graduation: You are magna cum laude at your university (and yet you still tell people you aren’t smart. Guess what? You’re right. You’re not smart. You’re a genius.)… So, maybe number 5 should have been titled: You are a Genius like the Sphinx (I’m sure his high level of intelligence would have also been mentioned in the hypothetical myth written about him).

6. It’s easy to hold hands with you. Super easy. I think about that day in preschool when the teachers separated us across an imaginary line that they drew down the center of the playground (I was 4. You were 2. It is my first clear childhood memory).  They moved us to either side of the line and pried our tiny little hands apart (I still see it happening. In slow motion. Maybe you do, too. Being dramatic runs in our family.).  They told us that it wasn’t healthy for us to spend so much time together (we’re sisters you ridiculous preschool teachers!) and that we needed to play with the other children on our newly assigned sides of the playground.  I remember looking across the imaginary line at your tiny little crying face and I decided that it was the first time I would actively disobey an adult.  I grabbed your hand and we ran (terrified) across the playground into the tiny playhouse that the grown-ups couldn’t get into. They were so mad. But it didn’t matter. You were smiling. And we were holding hands. I love that your hand is always there for me to hold. Mine is always just a reach away if you need it.

7. You love your out-of-control and completely untrained Golden Retriever. You never trained him. You said you tried, but everyone who truly knows you also knows that you didn’t try. And we know why. You didn’t want to affect his true nature. You loved him for exactly who he was born to be and you wanted him to be happy.  Even though he bites people (your explanation: that’s how he tells you that he loves you!). You are the most empathetic person that I know. You cry at other people’s stories when they went through something sad, heartbreaking, or scary. You laugh and smile when someone else has had a success. You have the most beautiful heart.

So. I love you. For many reasons. I thought I’d get you started with seven of them. I admire you and aspire to possess so many of your incredible qualities. You are a beautiful, wonderful, incredible woman and I am blessed to call you my sister. And my best friend.