Second Thank you-logy: Heather, the Beloved.

Heather and I are the close in age (yes, I can still remember the day in elementary school realizing that I was the accident…haha). Heather and I were basically twins growing up—I say basically because we did so much together.

I always joked that Heather received all the kind, patient, and compassionate genes and I inherited the loud, aggressive and impatient genes from our parents. Heather was always an example to others. Several women would tell their daughters that they should be like her. That is how I began to call her Heather, the beloved. (she hated when I said that, but it is true). There are people in life that others just feel comfortable around and Heather is one of those people.

Heather was the person I learned to read with, played the piano with (she was always better…), and the person I remember waking up in the night screaming because we were both scared.

That is not to say she is perfect, (she’s close) when we were younger she hated to have attention drawn towards her so she would have me order her food at McDonalds or call people that she needed to call. And although we were close as siblings can be, there were times in high school we would go to lunch and fight the whole time—probably about something stupid. Then as we walked into the hallways where both us had nearby lockers we would become the best of friends again.

Madre was wise and separated us in classes, Heather was the very youngest of her class I was the oldest. Even so, our group of friends overlapped. From junior high school up Heather and I would invite several friends over to the house to play cards until late in the night. We went ice blocking or toilet papering together and would laugh for hours about as we rode away in the getaway car.

Now that Heather is older and has a family of her own it is fun to watch her as a mother. All of her children are happy and full of life. Heather is willing to let them be their unique selves. Life has not be perfect in anyway, Heather’s family has experienced their share of family trials—but with a strong faith and a close knit family they have endured and are still smiling today.

Now, she will be completely embarrassed by this post because she still doesn’t like to have attention drawn to herself. But Heather, thank you for being a wonderful sister, a loyal friend and an example.