Notes for a Birthday

Author: Ale /

Sometimes I neglect my blog. 
Sue me.
I'm working fulltime, arranging a cruise, planning a month long trip to Europe with my best friend (YAY!!) and figuring out how to travel the country all summer to do all 8 weeks I was hired to work for EFY.
I'm a busy woman.
Also, I journal more than I blog as of late- mostly because in my journal I can say whatever I want.
I suppose I can here too....but it's better in my journal because I can make collages at the same time so it gets my creative juices flowing
.....and be honest people: it's fascinating but also just plain weird when people pour out their souls on their blogs- some stuff should be left unsaid - the world doesn't really need to know if your husband is sleeping with another woman or what color your bodily excrements are. 
I will continue to campaign for this kind of discretion although I know it will never come to pass. 

ANYWAY....
My sister Ari's birthday was last week.


Ari and Ale.
Actually Ari Natalya and Alessandra.
Our parents were cool like that.

 One of her sweet friends asked us to write a letter for her big 3-0 to put together in a book. 
I waited to post this until Ari actually got the book so it would be a surprise- I really hope I have friends like her when I turn 30.

I'll start this out with a quick quote from my dad's letter to my sister- it made me laugh so much when I read it- and it really helps my letter make all the more sense...

........

"Her (Ari's) biggest challenge in life may have been that she had a sister. Although seven years apart, it was tough not be the center of attention as much after Ale was born.  She was a good little second mother though and helped a lot with her sister.  I think she wondered if it was necessary to have Ale around, but learned tolerate the wild and rambunctious little blond who was way too much of a tomboy for her." 

.........

My sister and I are different. We lead very different lives, being seven years apart, and we also look like we could come from different sets of parents. My sister and I haven't always been what you would always call "friends". I think it took years of practice and a lot of crying to our mother before we finally figured out how to achieve the impossible. We've always loved each other deeply, you see, we just had to figure out we liked each other too. I suppose that just came with gaining some maturity (mostly on my part- Ari has always been mature to me) and maybe a little bit of putting aside pride, jealousy and just plain stupidity (again, mostly me). 
Somehow, we figured it out. I would never say we wasted all those years growing up. You see, I never doubted my sister's love and I always knew I could depend on her. True, we did succumb to rivalries and pettiness that most sisters suffer from at one point or another. I think we needed that though. We needed it because we had to overcome it. And overcome it we did. 
Somehow we came out better in the end because we both found our niche. Ari is one of the most level-headed, sensible, people I know. She is organized, efficient, calm, loving and fiercely loyal to the ones she loves. She has never shirked from a challenge and not going the extra mile for everyone is simply not in within her comprehension.  
I, on the other hand, am scattered and restless, head-strong, and prone to be unreasonable. Some would call it crazy (in fact, Ari probably did for years) I like to call it passionate.
The fact is, Ari is simply fantastic at succeeding at almost everything she tries and it took me a long time not to blame her for that. I was the athletic one that loved animals and had a few close friends while Ari was the was the one that shined. And oh, did she shine. Cheerleading, star of the musical, social butterfly, classical pianist (who actually got so upset she messed up one note in a piece during a concert she asked the room at large if she could start over and went on to play all 20 pages flawlessly). And you wondered how I could be jealous all those years. Point proven.
I'll never forget the day (and I doubt she does either) when she asked me to teach her how to throw a ball. Let it be known I was highly indignant that my own sister who was already a freshman in college at this point couldn't even throw a ball- not properly anyway. I took her outside, put a glove on her hand, told her to hold it up and then proceeded to throw it right at her. It never occurred to me that this could be dangerous or even scary. Needless to say, she screamed and threw herself out of the way. To her credit, she stuck with it and if you ever see her throw something just  know it was me, not Jeff, that taught her how. 
Thankfully though, as I've said, we got over the differences. Really, it was learning to focus on how we are similar more so than how we are different that really made it easy. 
Ari is the one person in the world that I can sit with for hours talking about books. We both go through quite a few a week and I never get sick of getting into deep conversations about them with her. We love chick flicks, cookie dough, People magazine and blogging. We love planning parties and weddings. And we both love our family because our crazy had to come from somewhere- I'm just glad it was from them.
Ari probably knows most of this already, so in honor of her reaching a milestone in her life I thought I say a few things here and now she has probably never heard me say; although they've always been quite true. 

Ari,
You are one of the best people I know and I can't even imagine my life without you. I have never seen you back down from a challenge and somehow you are always capable of making me laugh- even if it's at myself. You taught me how to take myself a little less seriously and not worry about what other people think. You made sure I knew I could do things my own way (even if that meant not listening to mom and dad once in a while). 
What's so amazing is most everything you've taught me has been through example. What could be a better way to teach than that? You live in such a way - other people, especially me, try to emulate. 
You found someone that fits with you completely. I thought Jeff was getting himself a real piece of work the day he called to ask dad to marry you. Now I realize how wrong I was; I was the piece of work and I'm amazed he didn't take off running when he met your family.  Thankfully he stuck around and the kind of relationship you two have is one I can only hope to find one day. It may have taken me a while to come around, but eventually I realized just how good Jeff was for you. I suppose it also helps that you two produce adorable offspring. Landon is the light of my life- as he is yours. Thank you for giving me a nephew so easy to love and don't worry, I will be spoiling him for years and years to come. 
I probably don't tell you this enough Ari, but you are without a doubt, my greatest example. I think when I was young it was just too hard for me to admit, but no matter how hard I tried to hide it I worshiped the ground you walked on. I adored you and wanted to be just like you. I guess the worst kept secret now is, I still do- and always will. 
Thanks for being who you are, Ari. I love you more than anything and I couldn't be more proud to call you my sister and my best friend. 
Happy Birthday
Love,
Ale

.........

So there you have it.
I promise to blog more in the coming months.... I'll be traveling again so I have something worth blogging about!


P.S.
Speaking of birthdays......
a friend of mine also had a birthday last week
I made this cake.
Cool huh?




I thought so :)

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