On This The Day

On this the day, May 6th, I reflect.

15 years ago today was the end of my reign as the only child, the only concern. The Princess of my Palace. On this the day of May 6th, my life hath changed forever. 15 years ago, on this the day of May 6th, everything would be different. It was not just me anymore. It was no longer MY room, it was our room..

May 6, of 1994 I was given my built in best friend, someone that I would be able to trust for my whole life, with my whole life, with anything that could ever possibly happen. Yes, there would be more lifelong friends to come, but this, the first, would be special in its own way. It is the first. It is most sacred. It is that of which none can compare.

Fifteen years ago, on this the day of May 6th, the day my first sister was born, I hadn't an inkling of a clue of what I was about to become a part of. I knew only what I knew from the movies. I knew that the big sister is the boss of the house. She is the boss of her things and she says what and where everyone will play and when. She is basically the second one down from the mother, like Vice Woman, with an oath to follow:

If for any reason

The Mother of the House is in absence

Or is unable to fulfill her duties

As the Boss of the House,

The Big Sister is then obligated to step in

And take her place as the Woman of the House.

She is pledged to tell everyone what to do

And what the rules will be.

She is the One that will take care of the youngins

With whatever they may need
And she will do it with the ease and second nature

of the Sacred Mother of the House.

I was 4 years old, and I did not know rule 1 of being a big sis. All I knew was that I was potty-trained and she wasn't!

Our indestructable bond did not start off as such right away. In fact, it took years for me to even see it. I mean, the girl was pretty much useless for the first 3 years! All she did was laugh and point and pee on my lap. She grew curls like crazy! And not like slight wavy curls! These things were huge Shirley Temple in hot-rollers-like curls, that were perfectly cylindrical and bouncy! She was really a funny baby.

But she grew over time, and inevitably so did I. Soon she started walking, and saying things and then she started to understand. She started to become fun to play with..

And then before I was aware of the time, she was going to school with me too! We were riding the bus together, and I had to protect her. I began to have to stick up for my sister, when she would get picked on, or bullied, or when others would call her names. Small things began to happen.

And with a little more time, my little sister was helping me out, when I needed someone. She was there for me when I started getting a little older and I was growing out of my childhood and started to become an adolescent. As a child, my sister was giving me adult advice. She was there to listen when I started to become an angry and lonely teenager. She was there when I was diagnosed with panic disorder and I had no one in the world to trust. She never judged me.

She was most often the happiest part of my day. She understood everything I ever went through even though she had never previously experienced it. We laughed about the same silly things that went on in our house, like how Bianca can sleep standing up or how absolutely dead set our mother is about NOT having her nose touched.

And when we would fight, there was more passion than a Fourth of July Sky. We would always bring up issues that were deeper than the root of the disagreement. And it never lasted more than 15 minutes. Because we knew we were still best friends.

I can't believe my little big sister is 15. Sometimes she calls me every 7 seconds for help and other times it feels as though she doesn't need me at all.

But I know that whatever happens in my life, no matter how good or how bad, regardless of how old I get or how young I feel, and despite who else I have in my life at the time, I know that I will always count on her to give me advice, send me help, or laugh hysterically at whatever time of day whenever I come before her.

So here's to you, Angelina M.

Happy Birthday.