Friends and Family

I remember in high school, my friends and I skipped an assembly and headed to Marie Calendars down the street for breakfast, which was probably pie. We laughed and talked and stayed so long we ended up eating lunch there too, (probably more pie). Those were the days. We were seniors, we were invincible, we were best friends, and we thought we'd always stay as close as were back then.

We were also naive.

I still consider them my good friends, although we don't see each other nearly often enough. Those were the days when I would rather be with my friends than my own family. But times change.

Yesterday I went to Chili's with my best friends, we laughed, we talked, we cried and reminisced for 3 hours. Other than the waitress, no one wanted to leave. We try to get together for dinner for each of our birthdays. Tomorrow is my sister Susie's birthday. Did I mention the best friends I went to dinner with were my sisters? (yes, my mom and sister in law are my sisters too). My brother came too, sweet! Like I said, times change.

Susie was only 9 years old when I got married so I missed out on watching her grow up. I had to hear about the time when my parents heard noises in the middle of the night, and found Susie trying to walk through a locked door. She announced she was on her way to Kristin's house to play. I didn't even know she was a sleepwalker. I missed out on her "New Kids on the Block" groupie phase. I never actually witnessed the kissing of Jordan or Donnie on her poster, so I can't be certain if that rumor was true, or if a certain sibling was just getting even for some unresolved sibling rivalry issues.

I wasn't there when a certain young man moved up the street and quickly became her new best friend. Years later when that same young man asked Susie to marry him, I was the one caught off guard, afterall, I thought they were just good friends.

Susie has been more like a big sister to my girls, and Chelsea looks more like her than me. She's only 12 years older than Chelsea and has always enjoyed the title of "The Favorite Aunt". She's always been the designated babysitter, and even after she was married, the girls loved to have sleepovers with Susie and Chad. After Susie had kids of her own, Chelsea became their babysitter.

Susie has always been such a happy, optimistic person. She is always making us laugh. With her tender heart and pre-disposition to leaky tearducts (in other words, inherited cryer gene) I always wondered how she could do her job without constantly losing it. Susie is a nurse and works in the NIC-U with pre-mature or sickly babies. But it's her tender heart and compassion that makes her so good at what she does. And even if she's worked a 12 hour shift all night, I've never seen her cranky or grouchy or moody. She's always been our little 'Susie Sunshine'...

...but then again, what do I know. I haven't lived with her since she was 9 years old.

Happy Birthday Sus! I love you!