Ode to My Seester (Sister)

August 11th is a very important day in our family.  Because it is the day that BOTH my seester Hilary AND my youngest born Ryder came into this world...a few years apart obviously.
Tomorrow shall be dedicated solely to my ocean eyes boy but today, I thought I would talk a little bit about my youngest sister.  Mainly, because I just got off the phone with her to find out how she was celebrating her "birthday week" and to make sure she was wearing her crown proudly and she said they don't really celebrate birthday weeks and she tries to just keep her birthday under the radar.  It's so apparent that we're sisters, am I right?  I mean, I'm totally like that too. 
Or not.

Since I can't be in Tennessee with her to force her to celebrate and wear the crown and embarrass her to the ends of the earth, I shall do it with you here on the internets. 
You're invited to the Hilary party and you don't even have to buy a present.  Although, if you MUST I'm sure she could find it in her heart to accept it.  But you should probably send it to me first, you know for safety reasons.  I'm always looking out for her you know. ;)

In celebration of my seester let me tell you a little bit about her.  She's the youngest in our family, I'm her senior by 6 years, Heidi is right smack between us, 3 years younger than me and 3 years older than Hil.  When Heidi was born, I made my dad, mom, grandma, and everyone in the surrounding counties CRY due to my unruly behavior when they brought home a baby that immediately took the spotlight off of me and onto her.  Oh the stories she could tell you and that I would deny.  :)  But when Hilary came along, I was a sassy, independent 6 year old and I immediately took to her as "my baby".  Our mom had it made in the shade with that one because I did everything for Hilary and spent every waking minute taking care of  her or at least making sure Mom was doing it right.  Seriously, I've always been this way.  She walked at a later age that most babies, because who needed to walk when you had a big sister that carried you everywhere?  At one point in Hilary's life, Mom was told by a doctor that I, her big sister,  may have hindered Hilary's learning abilities because I always did everything for her.  Whatever Doc, she turned out just fine.  P.S.  The need to do everything for her has never gone away.  For example, when I went to visit in January, I cleaned her house, did her laundry and cooked for her because she didn't feel well.  And you know what?  I didn't mind at all. 

I have a million stories I could tell you about my little sister that would make you understand why she's the light of our family or I could list out some of the many reasons I adore her but I'll just tell you this little story, which is among my favorite Hilary stories.
Read it and weep, friends.

When Hilary was in high school, she had an interview for a job at a daycare facility.  She was interviewing with the director of the daycare who happened to be a male and his wife as I believe she worked there as well.  The interview was going well until the director started talking about dress code.  He said to Hilary, "We don't allow you to wear thongs here."  Hilary was AGHAST and offended that he would say such a thing to her.  According to Hilary, and I can totally picture this in my head, she looked at him in disgust and said, "Why does it matter what kind of UNDERWEAR I wear?!?"
The man just looked at her AGHAST and turned 14 shades of red, fumbling for the right words to say.  His wife came to his rescue and kindly said, "Honey, they call those FLIP FLOPS these days."  
She got the job.  

And that pretty much sums her up.  A little naive, a little sassy, and whole lotta likeable. 

To my Seester,

Twenty six years (or maybe 25 I'll have to get out a calculator to see how old I am) ago you came into my life.  We bonded when you were just hours old and that bond has only gotten stronger the older we've gotten.  

I love how you bring out the funniest in me and how I can make you laugh til you spit pop all over the place.  And truth be told you do the same for me, sometimes intentionally and sometimes because you're just so darn blonde.  As if I'm one to talk.  But seriously, I think that's one of the things that makes our family so great, our ability to laugh with (and sometimes AT) each other.  As many heartaches as we've been through if we hadn't laughed our way through them we would've never stopped crying. 

I love your humble, caring and gracious spirit.  This is where you are so much like Mom and where I could stand to take a few lessons.  You are way more focused on everyone else around you than you are on yourself.  Good thing you have a nosy, overbearing older sister to look out for you. 

I love the aunt you are to my kids.  Second coolest aunt on the planet.  I won't mention who the first coolest is, it goes without saying.  ;)  But I love that you ASK for your niece and nephews to come visit you and then are a mess when they have to go home.  Way to work your way up to the favorite spot. 

You are an inspiration to all who have heard your story or watched you thru this last year.  Your strength, your faithfulness in God, and your ability to still smile thru it all have made us so proud.  I know you don't like all the attention but take it for once.  You deserve it.  You are one of the most amazing women I know and I'm proud to call you my seester. It also doesn't hurt that you are always willing to go along with my harebrained ideas and/or pose for my crazy pictures.   

Lylas (love ya like a sister).  Oh wait you ARE my sister.  Lucky me!

Love,
Me

P.S.  Does this count as your card?  :) Yes, I'll still send a present.