Today, my big sister gets married.
It's kind of surreal to me that this day is finally here. As little girls, we always talked about our future husbands and our wedding days. Christina predicted that I would be the first to be asked on a date, have a boyfriend, etc. And...to get married.
Turns out she was wrong, but I'm okay with that.
Tonight, I will stand up next to my big sister as she pledges herself to the man that she loves, vowing to spend the rest of her life with him, become one flesh with him, and live in the beautiful and divine institution of marriage with him until death do they part.
A few hours after that, I will have to stand up in front of her and all of the guests and give a toast. And I have no idea what the heck I want to say. Because really...how do you sum up what you want to say to someone who's literally been there for every moment of your life when theirs is about to change forever?
My relationship with Christina has changed a lot over the years. We've always been fairly close, but we definitively weren't "BFFs" when we were younger. We have two very different personality types and as a result, we would take things personally that the other one said/did. There were plenty of fights and slamming doors and unspoken competition throughout the years. But she's always been my big sister and so much more.
The number of stories I have about crazy things my sister and I did (or my sister did while I was around) are countless. She's always been a... mischievous child.
When I was little, she covered me in stuffed animals in my crib. I'm really not sure if she was trying to suffocate me...or if she just really wanted me to have stuffed animals.
Right after I finished preschool and she finished first grade, we had a slumber party in her room and she discovered...her scissors. (dun dun dunnn!!!) She proceeded to cut up my sleeping bag (yes...mine, not hers) and then convinced me that I needed to cut my own bangs. Yep. Granted...I could've said no. But she was my "cool big sister" and so, of course, I listened. Six months later...my bangs were still only halfway down my forehead. After I cut my own bangs, she also cut my ponytail and the result of that was not...awesome. I believe my dads words to my mom were, "Fix it!"
But our relationship has changed and grown as we have changed and grown. I'm truly so blessed to have the sister that I do. We've taken crazy trips to different places together, taken goodness knows how many pictures, had slumber parties, watched countless chick flicks, and laughed until our sides hurt.
I'm so glad that she's found the man of her dreams and that she finally gets to marry him and...be in the same city as him! They've been long distance now since just after she graduated from college (that's like...July 2009 guys...) which is about 3 years and 3 months. I hate it when I don't get to see Office Boy for a week...I can't even imagine what it's been like for her and Patrick to be long distance for so long.
To watch how Christina's relationship with Patrick has developed over the last several years, has been amazing. And through it all, it's been such an amazing encouragement to me. When I was hurting from The Boy Who Broke My Heart, she immediately declared that she was sending nomad vampires after him and I wouldn't have to worry about him long. And when I was hurting from The Boy Who Smashed My Heart, she was there for every moment of it and reminding me that it hurts like heck, but it'll get better and it will work out. And now that I'm with Office Boy, she's still such an encouragement.
Words cannot describe how much I love my sister. I'm tearing up as I'm sitting here writing this and I have no idea how the heck I'm gonna make it through tomorrow without dissolving into a puddle of tears. But I'm so proud to call her my sister, so proud to stand up next to her on this exciting day, and so proud that I don't just call her my sister, I call her one of my best friends.
Ages 1 and 3. Dad's favorite picture of us.
Ages 3 and 5. My favorite picture of us.
Sleepover with puppies.
Ages 9 and 11. On a dependent's cruise on dad's sub.
At a family wedding. These two little guys are her ring bearers.
New York for Memorial Day weekend.
Her college graduation.
We really do love each other...promise.
At my graduation.
Love you big sister. :)
I love you so much, Christina. Thank you for being the amazing sister you've always been. I'm so blessed to call you my big sister and one of my best friends. I pray nothing but blessings on this new adventure you're embarking on with Patrick. It's gonna be amazing. :)
