My Sweet Sister Christina

*Due to internet issues last night, I couldn't post.  But I was grateful yesterday and wrote this last night.


Today my sister turns 29. 

Twenty-nine.  Really!?!

It doesn’t seem like that long ago that I was 29.  How can the baby of the family be on the verge of 30 now?

But that’s time for you.  It marches on, almost imperceptibly.  Until one day, you realize just how much of it has passed.   Like when your baby sister turns 29.

But how grateful I am that she’s been in my life these past 29 years.  She helps make my life full.  Full of fun.  Full of great memories.  Sometimes full of frustration ;).  But what sister hasn’t done that at some point?

So we were born back in the day when ultrasounds were not so commonplace, unless there were complications.  So my parents didn’t know with any of us whether we would be a boy or a girl until we were born.  When my mom was expecting Christina, everyone was sure she was expecting a boy.  Including one of my grandmas, who had apparently been right with all the rest of us.  Well, everyone thought she was expecting a boy with one exception.  Me.  I was sure I was having a sister.  And it turned out I was right.

True, there were times during my teenage years when I wished I’d have been sure I was having a brother (as though that was going to change the baby’s gender… Ha!).  But I don’t feel that way now.  I have cherished memories of my sister.  Moments that still make me laugh.

Like how we used to play “Prissy laid an egg” with various toys.  Christina was always prissy, who would sit on the edge of the bed (there was a gap between the mattress and the bed-frame, because it had once been intended to hold a waterbed), and pretend to read while Brad and I would find various toys to stick in the gap – Prissy’s egg – and then Prissy would check out her newest addition.  The most hilarious one was when we put the fake-blood-covered Bravestarr doll in the gap and Prissy declared it was a rotten egg and threw it to the corner of the room.

Or how she would help me study for Physiology class when I was a junior in high school.  I feel it was a true act of charity that she gave up her time when she could have been talking to friends, playing with whatever she was into playing with at the time… whatever.  But she chose to help me study.  Chose to help me learn various names for human anatomy.  Like popliteal (which, after 15+, years I no longer am sure how to spell, but it is the back of the knee).   And the thing is…  What cherished memories came from that sacrifice she made on my behalf.

Christina and I are like night and day.  She is brave and adventurous.  I am neither of those things.  She is opinionated and outspoken.  I’m opinionated, but I’m less likely to shout it from the rooftops.  I usually share my thoughts with those who I think will be in agreement.  This fact led to another hilarious story from our childhood.  It was back in the day when we were all too young to stay home alone.  My mom had started taking computer classes at Panama Canal College, and one of her classes was in the afternoon.  Which meant she had three kids tagging along.  We were to sit in the student center and behave ourselves while she attended class.  And, to my recollection, we did pretty well.  We kept to ourselves in a spot over by the windows.  Well, it was the student center, and so when classes would get out, a lot of students would pour into it to have snacks and visit.  And every day, there was this one guy who would walk in after all the others and loudly declare his presence by hollering “Hola! (hello!)” as he walked through the door with his arms raised high.  Like he was somebody.  He did this, like, every single day.  Mouthy that I am (but only to Brad and Christina), I quietly said, “Next time he does that, I’m going to yell back “Adios! (goodbye!)”  I’d have NEVER in a million years had the guts to seriously do it…  But I liked to pretend I would.  Christina, though…  Yeah…  She’s gutsier than I am.  The next time we were there, sure enough, that guy walked in with his usual loud greeting.  And what did Christina do?  Yelled, “Adios!”  There was a massive pause as all eyes turned to our little corner.  And then everyone laughed.  And that  started a conversation in which they asked us why we were always there, etc.  At one point, they asked if we were siblings.  Christina – in her infinite wisdom – said, “Well, they are; but I was found under a rock.”  Hahahaha….  She knew she didn’t want to claim us, but sort of got it backwards!  Hilarious!  Anyway, that guy ended up being pretty cool.  And I can still remember one day, as we were in the car leaving the campus, we passed that guy, and he totally waved at Christina. 

And I remember being 18 or 19, and Christina would help me get pretty for my dates by doing my hair and make-up (she’s always been more skilled in these areas than yours truly).

And if I had to describe my sister in one word, it would be loyal.  She is absolutely 100% loyal to those she loves and holds dear.  And I really admire that about her.  

And!  I remember sharing a bed with her.  I swear this is why I learned not to roll much.  Because one time, I accidentally rolled on her side of the bed, and she woke me up with a swift punch to the butt and told me to move over!  But, she was a blessing too, as far as bed-buddies go.  Because during my teenage years, I would sometimes awake in the middle of the night with excruciating muscle pains in my calves.  She would always go get our mom for me.  And she would sometimes wake up with bouts of vertigo, and I’d go get our mom for her.  So it worked out well – in spite of any bruised bottoms ;).

It’s been a fabulous 29 years.  Yes, there have been plenty of doses of downs to accompany the ups.  But that’s just life.  I’m grateful for this sister who has helped me through a lot of life.  I’m grateful for the memories we share and the memories we have yet to make.

Happy 29^th, Christina.  I love you.  

What are you grateful for today?