Happy Birthday Sis #1

Today, Sis #1 turns 19. I'm driving down tomorrow to spend the weekend with the fam. So far, there are 15 Marines from my stepdad's work coming over for mom's lasagna, volleyball, ping pong, horse shoes, Wii and probably some poker. Hell, the 15 Marines is a birthday present enough.

Sis #1 is asking for cash from everyone. Now that she has a car payment to make and insurance to pay. I can't give just cash so she's getting cash and a few other fun things (thank you Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale).

Sis #1 and me are very much opposites. Physically and personally. She's a momma's girl and I'm definitely a daddy's girl. She makes plenty of guy friends and I tend to have a lot of girl friends. I'm the introvert and she's the extrovert. I'm the one willing to leave my comfort zone sometimes, she rarely will. I wanted to get as far away as my parents as possible to build my independence. She say's she'll always live close by. I could go on.

And I love her for doing her own thing. I am proud that she will have her bachelors by the end of this year. I love how carefree she is and how many exciting things ahead of her there are.

And I want to stop her from making mistakes and getting her heart broken, but I can't. And I want to advise her on making good choices and contributing to life, but I can't do that either.

But I get the pleasure and pain of watching. And remembering things like, thanks to me, she thought she was Japanese until she was 10 because I insisted she was since she was born in Okinawa. Or putting her in a laundry basket, tying our jump rope to it and dragging her down the street in the snow. Or teaming up to beat our mom and stepdad at Taboo...we tend to have our own language. And taking her to see N'Sync for her 15th birthday. Or the time she called me old for taking her to a Collective Soul concert.

I watch her mature like watching an intense movie with my hands partially over my eyes. I look forward to the best and cringe for the worst.

But the best part of it, is she is strong and is growing stronger everyday. I'm glad I'm here to watch.

Happy Birthday to my lil sis. May you find something and someone you love and discover what you bring to this world.