My Big Sister's Birthday

Her birthday is two days after mine, but she is two years older than I. When she was 2, she must have thought I stole her birthday. The sibling rivalry started immediately. We were never best friends. She was blonde; I was not. She was outgoing; I was not. She had her tonsils removed; I did not. she was messy; I was meticulous. She was determined, strong-willed, and stubborn: and I was, well I was too!

She had been an only child; I never have been. I can remember Dad saying more than once that she had talent, but I had tenacity; of course, we had no idea what that meant.

We shared the same Dad and Mom; we're the only two who can claim both of them as parents. Anna Quindlen claims, "Each child in a family with more than one gets a different set of parents, different in age, in experience, in position at the time of the child's birth."

By the time I was born our parents had separated, contemplated divorce, and gotten back together again. Several years after I was born Dad moved out permanently. Their divorce affected my sis and me, but it affect us quite differently. We both still carry some of the emotional baggage birthed during the insecurity of that season. As a result we are both competent and vulnerable in different ways.

After 30 years of silence between these 2 sisters, two years ago I had the florist deliver a dozen roses to her home in Portland, Oregon, for her big birthday. We live a thousand-plus miles south of her. In the past 2 years, we've been in continual communication.

Today I had the florist deliver a dozen roses to my sis. Today I celebrate her and the wonder of having a Big Sis!

Good night from Southern California,
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol

P.S. Thank YOU everyone for all the wonderful comments and birthday wishes these past several days. I've had and am still having a fabulous November birthday.