Worst Birthday Present Evah!

Birthdays have always been special to me. I love birthdays. My most memorable birthday is, ironically enough, one I can remember only one thing about. My mother wasn't there. I was turning 7, which to my six year old self was a VERY. BIG. DEAL.

I don't remember the theme I picked out or the flavor of my cake. I don't remember which of my friends attended. All I remember is thinking my party was ruined because my dad had to run it.

Where was my mother? In the hospital in labor with my baby sister who would wind up being born on MY birthday. The "ruined" birthday party set the tone for my feelings toward my sister for years.

Good grief...it was bad enough she stole my birthday thunder, but then I had to have joint birthday parties with her (I am pretty sure that in reality it was only a couple times, but in my mind, they were all lumped together).

As the oldest child, I was constantly being told to be nice to her because she was "the baby," "the youngest," "my sister." She was my shadow...and an obnoxious one, at that. She cut the hair off my Chrissy doll, ripped heads off my Barbies, and wreaked havoc wherever she went. Whenever she did something wrong, *I* would get into trouble because I should know better.

And then, something happened....

She started growing up. Oh, she could still be a major pain in my backside, but when she was acting like a semi-civilized human, I noticed some things. She was witty. She liked the same music as me. She was fiercely loyal. She was fun to be around. Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! The brat who ruined my birthday was actually now my friend.

Oh, don't get me wrong...there are times when I still want to throttle her. She has a memory like an elephant, and she pops off with all sorts of things I'd rather not remember...like the time I convinced her our dog's AKC papers were actually her adoption papers (man, did I get in trouble for that).

She's married now (to a Saint of a guy), and she has two beautiful boys that I get to watch while she's at work. They are too young to hear the stories about their mother now, but there will come a day when I get to fill their heads with all of my memories. Be afraid, be very, very afraid.

Happy Birthday to the only present I still have after 35 years. :-D