My (Much) Older Sister

I have the two most wonderful sisters in the world. Not two of the most wonderful sisters in the world, the two most wonderful sisters in the world: the most wonderful older sister and the most wonderful younger sister.

Only one of them had a birthday yesterday, though, so I'm focusing today on my wonderful older sister and will save stories of my wonderful younger sister for another day.

Today's picture may be my favorite ever taken of the two of us because it is worth a thousand words in summing up our relationship. It was snapped in my dad's classroom when we were three or four years old. I am standing in sweet but puzzled befuddlement, which was my default setting, and J is leaning back against a table, grinning at the camera, knowing she has the world on a string and can yank the string any old time she pleases.

She was then, and is today, a force of nature. I mean, just look at us. Which one looks like she Has A Plan, and which one does not?

But let me give you a piece of wisdom gained over the years. If you know someone who Has A Plan, whether it's your wonderful older sister or someone else who loves you with fierce and no-holds-barred intensity, attach yourself to that person like a tail to her kite and don't let go. As you fly together to places that you would have been too scared to go by yourself, that person will encourage you, and empower you, and make you feel like the two of you together could feed the hungry and split the atom and knit a sweater all at the same time.

And when you're starting your first day of junior high or playing that violin solo or hitting "publish" on a blog post, you look over at that person who has said "You can do this!" and you know she's got your back so you take a deep breath and walk through the school doors or hit the first note or overshare to the entire internet.

But then suddenly the kite lets the tail go, and wheeee! You're flying by yourself! And you Have Your Own Plan, and instead of being the one pulling you along, the kite is flying and laughing with you and continuing to tell you that you can do it, and by golly, you are doing it.

Happy Birthday, J. I'm glad you're my wonderful older sister.

Also, I'm sorry I told Mom you were the one who sucked up the goldfish with the vacuum cleaner.