Happy Birthday to my Sister!

It's my little sister's birthday today... I still picture us about the same age playing in Souris... but we're not. She's 28 today! We're two-and-a-half years apart - you do the math. ;)

My sister and I grew up together living in the most wonderful place on earth - Souris. A tiny little town (it doesn't even have a Tim's!) surrounded by incredible beaches. We were a beach family. A rare summer day went by when we were not at a beach... cloudy and a chance of rain? No problem - we hit the beach. We did our Red Cross swimming lessons at Red Point. I remember some of those days being so cold... but we stuck it out - us and our O'Brien friends... with the moms wrapped in blankets! :)

My sister and I grew up playing outside. Sure, we had dolls, barbies and such, but the majority of our childhood was outside in the fresh air. Climbing trees, riding bikes, digging for worms, floating boats (aka - twigs) down our rivers (aka - little ripples of water on the road after a rain), and building forts. Our closest playmates were the O'Brien siblings, so while we may not have been playing together, we were often in the same location (their house or ours... or anywhere in between!)... doing similar outdoors-y things.

If it rained - we were inside in our under-the-stairs fort/club house playing light-bright or reading books... or playing with home-made play dough. Or we may have taken over the entire upstairs hallway between the stair banister and the bookshelf and made it one long blanket fort... which meant Dad and Mom had to crawl through to get to their bedroom.

Our parents are such good sports.

Growing up, my sister was always the peace-keeper... and she was always generous. She handed out books, money, favorite shirts and time like no-one I know. My books are were my prize possessions, and I could hardly let them out of my sight, let alone loan them out... but my sister? Well, she's still missing books because of her generosity (and my mom's... she tended to give out only my sister's books because she knew she would live another day! ;))

My sister is a true explorer. She asks questions. She doesn't take much at face value but wants to know "why"...  which means she likes to learn. Her brain is far more active than mine. ;) She loves learning about the environment... I think before we had a recycling program on PEI, my sister was already advocating for waste reduction, no littering, and the use of green energy. ;) 

My sister is loyal. Once she has chosen to back you - there is no going back. I can think of many people, things and causes that she has vigorously supported over the years even when going against the grain.

My sister is an individual. Growing up she was often thought of as the quiet, passive, peace-keeping girl... and she was. But she is fiercely her own person. She's creative and unique. If she likes something, she likes it. Even if it doesn't pass the majority's approval. This shows in her cooking, her pictures, her style, her music and her interests. I think it's wonderful... because I'm not that brave.

My sister is a caretaker - especially for the underdog. If there was a kid getting bullied or picked on around the playground - my sister was there to be a friend. If there was a lonely unpopular kid in Sunday School - my sister was there to be a friend. If there is a group of people getting picked on and  discriminated against - my sister is there to be a friend and a supporter. 

She is my comfort zone... we may not talk often on the phone (I mean, hardly ever), but we can blame our dislike of phones on both our parents. ;) But if we are attending the same event - whether it's a wedding, conference, or just a get-together, I like having her close by. She knows me.

It's too bad I'm here and she's there. Our paths don't cross as much as they should.

I hope she has a wonderful Birthday - truly deserving of her. Happy Birthday S! I love you! :)