HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISSY!!!!! "you're my sister?"

Well it's my sister's birthday and at the moment I'm a little lost for words. I'm not sure where to begin. To use a line I've recently heard...she's like my right (well, in my case, left) hand, I wouldn't know what to do without it. I would be helpless and unable to function correctly. I'm the youngest in the family then her and then there is a pretty big age gap between my sister and my next oldest brother so needless to say we were inseparable growing up. We had so many adventures, shed many tears, and broke some hearts along the way.

507 Azalea is the place where I think we had the most fun. Our neighbors: Terry, The Alberez Family, Dunlaps, The Faulkner Frito Family, The family with the monkey. The Grey Family, The White Family, And of course Mrs. Wilson. I will never forget "Mrs. Wilson, I think my husband is dyeing on me" - one of those moments in life you will never forget and next to me during that - my sister. She would play cars and I would play barbies. We would play office and school. She actually drank real coffee once and about had a heart attack. We had a playroom with a window that lead to the den-real cool. When we played school "made up" students Manuel and Melissa Pena were good students while Manuel and Melissa Mendoza (or Martinez) were bad. When we cooked for the family she was Tutu and I would be the interviewer filming her and the show was called Tutu's Cooking. And she would do this great Mexican-Cuban extremely exaggerated accent. Then we would do the dishes in this order: glasses, bowls, plates, silverware, and then pots and pans.

We would sit around on my mother's bed and instead of napping, we would giggle so my mother would separate us by putting us on either side of her or make us pick out her gray hair with tweezers has punishment.

It hasn't been all wonderful though. When I joined the military, I found out later that she felt I had abandoned her. And in a huge way I did. I didn't call or write for a very long time. I look at family photos from that time and noticed I'm not in them and it makes me sick to my stomach. I still remember the day she came over to see me at my mom's after not seeing her for years. The look on her face was priceless. I had never missed someone so much in my life or loved someone so much. There is nothing I would not do for her. She is my foundation and she calls me on my shit. I could call her (and have) at 3 in the morning and she is there ALWAYS ready to listen and give advise. When ERG and I had a huge fallout I needed someone really bad and sure enough she drove (with Adam) 3 1/2 hours to come and pick me up to take me away for a few days. So here's to my Tither, my Sister, my Heart, I love you girl and I know you've had a hard life but because of your good heart, you will be rewarded. I love you and Happy Birthday. Without you, I swear, I'm nothing!!!!!

the pretenders - stand by you this is the ultimate song that absolutely solidifies my love for my sister

michelle pfeiffer - cool rider