When my sister and I were growing up, celebrating a family member's birthday was a huge affair. Okay, maybe it wasn't actually a huge affair, but it certainly felt that way to us. Birthdays seemed like the best days out of the whole year, and there was always a big to-do involving family and friends. 

Today is my sister Brittany's birthday... 36, I think? Yes- that's right! It's hard to keep up with my own age anymore, let alone someone else's. There were many years when we were growing up that my sister and I didn't get along, and once I was off to college, our relationship began to change, and we became very close. When my sis moved from NC to KS in 2008, I was crushed and felt like I was losing my best friend. What I didn't know then, was that our relationship would become even better across the miles. We miss each other, yes, but the time we do spend together is, even more, special because we only see each other once or twice a year.

I wish I could be with my sister to celebrate her birthday today. If I could, I'd take her out, and we'd plan a big family party- complete with lots of food, smiles, and laughter... maybe a few presents, too! Since we're separated by lots of miles, however, a phone call with warm wishes will have to do- until we see each other again.