January 20, 1952

a blue-eyed, chubby cheeked baby girl was born.
her parents were thrilled and totally in love with her.
right-fully so.
6 years later she became my big sister.
big is a relative term because even though
i am the youngest in my family, 
i am also the tallest...next to dad.
( and that's up for debate now)

when i was in high school and she was 
a young wife and mom, she became my friend, too.
each year that friendship has only become stronger.
we think alike and we do things very similar unknowingly.
for instance, in the 1990's we lived 18 hours apart
yet we managed to purchase the same pink sweater 
sold at Kmart! 
often when one of us calls the other.... we know it's her.
because we were just thinking of calling.
we've done that with our momma too.




let me tell you a recent happening.
it's the next morning after our momma 
went to heaven. we were staying on the farm with dad.
i woke up way too early, and before dad and bird.
i don't hear any noises in her room, and have to
pause outside dads door listening for his breathing....
wanted to know if his broken heart led him to heaven.
as i sat sipping my hot tea these thoughts bounce in my brain
"it's okay God, if you have daddy now. i know his heart is 
broken and he would be happier with you and momma.
but.... if my sister is dead..... i'm not gonna like it one bit.
i cannot-do not want to do this journey with out her."


when she FINALLY gets up i tell her about that conversation.
she's quiet, smiles,  then said.
"i  was laying in bed wondering about daddy, too. but i didn't hear
you moving about so i told God, she better not be dead!"


like i said, we have a tendency to think alike.

we did mild celebrating of her birthday this week.
her oldest son and family needed to leave early,
so we joined our food and celebrated at my home 
on thursday. 
since the mouse had gnawed on my number candles
i decided to make the numbers with regular candles.
we are classy like that. 
well....
i get the 6 made, and then do the next number.
proudly present it to my favorite sister,
she looks at my handiwork, laughs and asked.
"why did you put 61? I'm only 60?"
oh bother...

however...from this angle...she is 19.
so it's okay. 
really it was okay before. she thought it was funny.
she's cool like that. 

and she still loves me. 
good thing, i love her too.


friday, on her real birthday date we got together again.
i picked up our mom's younger sister aunt marjorie, and dad,
drove them to my sisters for barbeque brisket. 
we toasted her with cupcakes while singing the birthday song.
she got a sweet surprise that morning. a lady who knew
us before we were born, life long friends of our folks,
called her up and sang happy birthday to her. 
so sweet, so thoughtful, but kind of hard too.


yes our hearts are tender, tears at the ready,
but it's always good to feel the love .


we will go some place warm sister-bird,
before the winter swallows us up. 
we will. 


happy 60th and 1 day!