9.28.2011

happy birthday, sister

Happy birthday to Molly - my big sister, my dearest friend, and greatest matron of honor. All this wedding business was a sweet reminder of how blessed I am with this sister of mine. I think she came to Louisiana every weekend between May and August. And I don't know what I would have done without her priceless wedding and marriage advice [including her suggestion to take the plunger off our wedding registry].



But what struck me was much more than her presence and her plethra of tips. I realized, finally, just how much work this big sister role has taken over the last 22 years. You see, my super-smart sister, through the Lord's perfect will, moved to Auburn, AL when I was eight years old. Yes, you did the math correctly. We are ten years a part in age. [Oops, sorry Moll, I think I just gave your age away.] I should have known then that Louisiana would never get my go-getter of a sister back. And then she sealed the deal with marrying an Alabama lawyer.











What I realized is that things could be so different. She could have come home less and been much more annoyed with me during ages 8 though 16. But she's never missed a holiday and was excited for me when I started shaving my legs. Now, since I've left home, I see that these long distant relationships take work, and I see just how much work she's put into it over the last 14 years. And I see that she was the one making the effort, since I was a clueless adolescent. It's true that whatever Molly does she does incredibly well. How thankful I am that it has always been the same for this big sister job.



And this has got to be my favorite sister stage yet since I've joined the married club. We have more fun sharing hotel rooms and road-tripping in their sweet new ride. I love our closet switches and being her fashion go-to girl. I'm so thankful that she gave me the brother I always wanted and made me the aunt I always wanted to be. I love that we still look at the American Girl catalogue together [RIP Samantha and Felicity]. I'm proud when people say I sounded just like her when I said something and that we look alike [even though that's totally not true]. And I love laughing at the same family jokes over and over again and that she always knows exactly what I'm talking about. I know I owe that to all those years of her relationship-building work.



I'll keep begging God that, if it's His perfect plan, we'll live next door to one another one day. Or at least close enough to have a lunch date and to be each other's kids' emergency contact person.  And I'll go ahead and cement my control-freak feet to the floor in order to keep myself from making that happen by my own design.

So happy birthday, beautiful sister.

You the best.

1 comment:

  1. Agreed to all that you said about Molly. (except insert "friend" in the places you wrote "sister". Well said, Meagan. Molly, you are truly an amazing woman - full of life and fun and sincerity. You have a rich inheritance of character - you're mom and da have been such good examples to you girls and have given you both a sweet legacy of character to pass on to your own. Happy birthday, Molly!!

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