Dear Janelle: On Your 34th Birthday!

Dear JanelleDear Janelle:

WOW. I can’t believe today is your 34th birthday!! It seems like it was just yesterday when we were playing at the playground or zooming our Matchbox cars down that huge ramp in the living room! Those were the best times, weren’t they?

Maybe I should have started this post off with a warning that I’m about to get super emotional and sentimental?

Well, I am going to get super emotional because your special day is most definitely something to celebrate!!! YOU are most definitely something to celebrate! You are the most loving, kind, gentle, compassionate, amazing person I know!!! You are fierce and brave and so, so smart. You are so funny and so fun to be around — there’s nothing better than just staying home and being with you all day. You are super and you are, of course, ACES.

Do you remember when you were voted Most Kindhearted in third grade? That award was the most accurate award in the history of awards! You are the most kindhearted person in the world. To everyone. You put people at ease with your calming presence and that ability is such a gift to people!

But what I really want for you on your birthday? I want you to be kindhearted to yourself. You’re often so hard on yourself and I hope you show yourself the gentle kindness and compassion that you readily show others — at least for one day, OK? You, of all people, deserve it because you make this world a better, happier, calmer place!!

All this to say that…YOU’RE AWESOME. Thank you for being you and for bringing so much joy to our world. Today is one of the BEST days of the year!! Happy birthday to my sister and best friend!!! You deserve all the love on your special day and every day!! Dear, Janelle, I loooooove you!! xoxo

P.S. More Janelle love: Her 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 32nd and 33rd birthdays.

To the Best Sister In the World on Her Birthday

Best Sister Best SisterDear Janelle (AKA, the best sister EVER):

Have I ever told you that Tuesday is one of my favorite days of the week? Why, you ask? Because it’s the first day we’re both home together after you’ve been working all weekend!! And what double luck that today is Tuesday AND your 33rd birthday!

Now I know that you don’t like these mushy lovey-dovey displays of affection (and you’ve even told me how much you hate the word “lovey-dovey”), but it is your birthday and I’ll make this short and sweet!

This year, I wish you could see just how far you’ve come over the years. You’ve grown so much and have worked so hard to get to where you are. That is definitely something to celebrate and I know you’ve never been one to brag about yourself, but if ever there was a time to brag…NOW WOULD BE THAT TIME!!

Remember when you were little and we’d call you the Little Blonde Girl? Well, that girl has grown into a compassionate, gentle, strong, sweet, wonderful WOMAN who is doing so much good in this world. You’re a light in this world, and I thank you for lighting up my life every single day!

You and I make a pretty good team, don’t you think? Sometimes I even think that we were meant to be sisters; of all the billions of people in the world, WE got each other, and that’s a pretty special gift, if you ask me.

Best SisterI texted you this photo over the weekend while I was shopping, and as I’ve said before, I think Frozen captures us perfectly. You’ll always be the Elsa to my Anna. They were two sisters who were always there for each other and who saved each other in the end. I hope you know that I’ll always be here for you, just as you’ve always been here for me.

So, today, I hope you allow yourself to feel some joy, even if only a little bit. You deserve all the joy in the world because you bring joy to so many. I love you and I look forward to our future Sister Adventures together!! Thank you for being the best sister in the whole world… xoxo

What Do You Love About Your Siblings?

SiblingsAhhh, siblings. Is there any other relationship that is as complex and deep and perfect and loving as the relationship we have with our siblings?

Today is National Siblings Day, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t post about the wonders of my sibling. As I’m sure you all can imagine, I’m a pretty big fan of Janelle. She’s not only my sister, but she’s also my best friend. From the moment she was born, actually, as you can tell from the photo above. We’ve always been close, and I can’t tell you how happy that makes me! I’ve seen sisters who struggle with their relationship and who are estranged, and I’m thankful that we’ve never been in that position.

Honestly, I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t talk to her every day. Many a time, I’ll send her a random text during the day and ask, “Want to hang out later?” I’m sure she probably rolls her eyes sometimes because, yes, I can be a bit clinging and emotional (obviously!), but she always indulges me.

And because today is all about celebrating MY SISTER and her awesomeness, here are a few more things I love about her…

  • She can read my mind like no one else: Seriously, sometimes all it takes is a look at each other and we can tell what the other one is thinking. Is there such a thing as Sister ESP? Because we totally have that!
  • She makes me laugh: She probably won’t agree with me, but she’s really, really funny!! It helps that we laugh at the same things, like when we watch the hilarious show Baskets together!
  • She’s gentle and kind: If I’m being honest, she’s a lot more gentle than I am. I can be, umm, outspoken, but she has a peaceful calm about her. I’d say we balance each other out pretty well.
  • She’s so supportive: She knows just what to say to make me feel better. She’s the type of person who actually listens to what you’re saying instead of just hears it. She validates your feelings and never judges you. Especially when my mom was in Europe last summer, Janelle was my anchor; I couldn’t have gotten through the week without her.
  • She’s never indulged my disability: That may sound harsh, but it’s been exactly what I’ve needed. She’s never let me play the victim or pretend I can’t do something because of my disability. She’s always treated me like a person, not a disabled person, and I appreciate that she sees the real me.
  • But she DOES indulge me when I talk about Frozen: Because, HELLO, it’s the best sister movie ever!! Janelle and I are just like Elsa and Anna!

So where would I be without Janelle? I’m not quite sure, and part of me doesn’t even want to find out. I just hope I’m as good of a sister to her as she is to me. She’s set quite the high bar! I hope she knows just how wonderful she is — and yes, she’s probably reading this because I sent her the link to this post!!!

SiblingsWhat do you love about your siblings, friends? What special rituals do you have? What has brought you close to them? And, any tips to keep that connection strong? Here’s to siblings and the special role they play in our lives! #SiblingPride… xoxo

My Wish For Janelle on Her 32nd Birthday

My Wish For Janelle My Wish For JanelleHappy birthday to the Little Blonde-Haired Girl — AKA, the BEST SISTER in the world!! I sincerely can’t believe Janelle is 32 today!! I love her so much and couldn’t be more proud of the strong woman she’s become!! Over the weekend, as I got to thinking about what I wanted to write in my annual birthday post this year, one theme quickly appeared: My wish for Janelle.

My wish for her. It’s simple, really, and it’s something I was thinking a lot about this morning as I was going through family photo albums. There are so many memories in those albums, and sometimes, it all seems like I’m looking at another family’s life. But when I saw all those snapshots of Janelle, it felt like coming home again.

One look at those photos and I see it. Janelle’s soul. Her kind, pure soul — the soul that I’ve always admired and looked up to, even though I’m the older sister.

My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that loved nothing more than new bars of soap. As a toddler, she’d line up all the new soaps she’s receive on birthdays and holidays. And, as this photo shows, sometimes she’d even fall asleep next to them. Maybe she was comforted by their heavenly aromas and cleaning capabilities.

My Wish For Janelle My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that loved to read from an early age. My mom would take us to the library and check out piles of exciting books, and Janelle loved getting lost in them. Even now, reading is still one of her favorite pastimes; her favorite day of the week is when her new issue of The New Yorker arrives!

My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that loved to let loose on the playground! Janelle always listened to my mom, but anytime there was a wide open playground, my sister just had to run. I’m pretty sure this speaks to her free-spirit nature.

My Wish For Janelle My Wish For JanelleIt’s the soul that always had a smile on her face when she was little. She may have been extremely shy, but her smile could always light up a room. When she didn’t say “hi” with words, she’d say it with a smile. Of course, you couldn’t help but smile too!

I know that Janelle worries that she’s lost that soul — you know, that innocence from childhood that once made her so happy and carefree. Well, I just want to shout it from the rooftops…

THAT SOUL IS STILL THERE!!! IT’S BEATING IN YOUR HEART EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

I see it. Every day. I’ve watched my sister grow into such an amazing woman — someone who has overcome obstacles with strength and determination. Someone who has fought for what she wants and worked so hard for the life she wants. I thank my lucky stars every night that she’s in my life because I, too, wouldn’t be who I am had it not been for her amazing influence.

My Wish For JanelleSo, that soul? It’s loving and compassionate and forgiving. And, best of all, it’s still there. It hasn’t gone anywhere, and I hope Janelle knows that. I love you, Sister Bear! Keep showing that beautiful soul to the entire world… xoxo

What Happened When I Bought My Sister a Fiona PEZ Dispenser…

What Happened When I Bought My Sister a Fiona PEZ DispenserDecember is probably the one month of the entire year that has people scrambling for the perfect gift — for friends, for co-workers, for loved ones, for your neighbor who you really don’t know all that well, but you see each other every day at the dog park, so, you know. Translation: The pressure is really real, people! And all that pressure?? It’s got me thinking a lot lately about gifts and their deeper meanings. How do you know you’ve found the right gift for someone? What makes you look at something and go, “YES! This is most definitely it”? For me, I’m reminded of those questions every time I think back to what happened when I bought my sister a Fiona PEZ dispenser. The story goes something like this…

I don’t even remember when I bought the gift, but I know that it was years ago. In fact, I don’t even think it was for Christmas. I’m pretty obsessed with PEZ dispensers and actually sport quite an impressive collection and during one of my classic shopping trips one day, I spotted some Shrek dispensers. I snatched up two of them: Shrek himself and Fiona. I didn’t buy them with my sister in mind, but the more I thought about it, the more it fit and seemed like fate was somehow stepping in. She’d been struggling and having a hard time in those days and my heart just broke for her. Granted, I knew I couldn’t make all her problems disappear, but I did know that I wanted to do something — anything — to lift some of that darkness, even if it was only a little bit.

So I added the Shrek dispenser to my collection and gave her Fiona. It may have been a small gesture, but the meaning behind it was anything but tiny.

“I want you to think about something every single time you look at Fiona,” I told her. “I want you to think about the moral of the movie. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside or how people see you because what’s inside? That’s who you are. That’s your true soul. And that’s what is important. None of that other stuff matters. You are loved — so much more than you’ll ever know.”

Today, all these years later, that PEZ dispenser still sits on the bookcase in her bedroom; Fiona has become a fixture and continues to watch over her, and I like to think that it has something to do with the meaning behind my gift. Small. Simple. Incredibly powerful.

And, when I took this picture, I noticed the poignant framed quote beside it…

Be not afraid of going slowly

Be afraid only of standing still

The lesson here, friends: Never underestimate the power of a gift, no matter how small. That PEZ dispenser couldn’t have cost more than $3 and yet it meant more than any million-dollar diamond ever could. As the old saying goes, “It’s the thought that counts” and I fully believe that. So go forth and give with all your heart this holiday season. It just might mean more than you’ll ever know… xoxo