Laundry Day: If I Ever Held a Hand

Today is a very important day for two wildly important people in my life. Let's chat about them for a sec.

Today is Mother's Day. I've waxed poetic before about how much I adore my parents, but it bears repeating today. I am proud of a lot of things that I have done in my life, and I'm confident that I'll make good, informed decisions in the future, leading to a happy, balanced, loving life, but I know that my ability to do that, and each success that I've enjoyed, has been based in part on the wonderfully loving support of my family. My mom is one of my very best friends, someone who I think knows me better than anyone else in the world. This was not always the case, and if I ever made her life difficult during my teenage years, I never knew it. Even at moments where we were fighting a lot, I always knew that she was in my corner. That my fight was her fight, and that my joys were her joys. She has always been, and will always be, the woman that I aspire to be. And the older I get, the more I learn about her wisdom, beauty, humor, and strength. The closer I get to having children, the more I realize how amazing my parents were when I was born, and how much I still have to learn to be anywhere near that point in my life. I admire, adore, and cherish my relationship with my mom, and wish her, wholeheartedly, a wonderful Mother's Day.

Last year, when I wrote about Mother's Day, I posted this very same photo. It is a picture of my sister and I, a very long time ago. I'm posting it again this year because this year my sister's birthday falls on Mother's Day. M turns 24 today, which hurts my brain a little bit, because in my mind she is ever the tiny ballerina child, dancing her way through mononucleosis, singing her way through dozens of home videos, playing her way through countless games of touch football with the boys, and laughing her way through all the games and make-believe we'd play together. But she has grown up, into a spectacular woman. She is pursuing, and achieving, such wonderful goals, and I am on the edge of my seat to see what incredible things she will accomplish int he next year. My tendency has always been to take care of her. Maybe it's the older sister thing, maybe it's something else, but I've always leaned towards protecting her. In the past few years, though, I've realized just how little protection she needs anymore. While I was busy finding ways to take care of my kid sister, she grew up, and turned into an incredibly funny, warm, self-sufficient, loving, loved, smart, wise, and big-hearted woman. I admire her, both for everything she has (and will!) done, and also for who she is. Happy Birthday, M.

Title song: Prince, "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife"