Sister

Before I begin my real blog post, I want to give the reasons for being absent so long

1.  I started this blog in an attempt to justify my existence when I thought my private practice was tanking.  Every time I figure its a forgone conclusion, I get a referral so I get busy

2.  I hate typing and Dragon is not as fabulous as I thought.  I'll dictate "under no circumstance"  but I will get "udder know surgum stasis" and I'll just have to fix it anyway

3.  I always think of something else (usually play a game or go shopping) that I would rather do

There are more reasons, but they sound whiney and irritating when I think of them, so I'll spare you

Here's the reason I'm back today

I missed sister day on Facebook and I wanted to make up for it.  I actually think my sister deserves better than a blurb in my status.  The relationship I have with my sister is glorious and complex and complicated and wonderful.  It, too, deserves more than a FB post.

I know I have written about my sister before so you are probably aware that she is an actor and an acting teacher.  She is also one of the most beautiful people you will ever meet in real life. She is intelligent, funny, kind, and did I say beautiful?  Sheknows how to challenge and motivate students in classes at her private studio and with her high school students. She creates and produces shows with limited budgets and resources.  In other words, she is the whole package..pretty close to perfect.

she was pretty gorgeous even as a as a baby

My very first memory ever was of my sister. I thought we were playing hide and seek, but apparently she had taken a potty break.  When I found her "hiding" on the toilet, she let me know we were no longer playing by reaching out with her foot and slamming my finger in the door, severing the tip of my middle finger and prompting a trip to the emergency room where my finger tip was sewn back on just a little crooked.  Any future dreams of becoming a hand model were thwarted. 

  

Most of my earliest memories revolve around my sister. 

I remember an Easter egg hunt when I followed her around looking exactly where she looked for hidden eggs.  She missed one or two, but needless to say her egg count was much higher than mine.  That was a pretty good harbinger of things to come.

Being in Beth's shadow was just inevitable.  Once were were going to Six Flags or some place like that and the person in the ticket booth told Beth she was the prettiest little girl she'd seen all day.  I'm sure my parents said something about both of their girls being beautiful, but the message was clear.  Beth was the pretty one.

I didn't have any animosity about her  beautifulness then  It was just so obvious to me that she deserved that title.  She had a heart-shaped pixie face, and her eyes were huge.  My hair was stick straight and my head was shaped like Charlie Brown  I had curly hair only after sitting through being given a torturous, stinky permenant by my grandma. Thankfully, I don't have any pics of that particular frizzy hair don't that probably just pointed out my perceived homeliness.   

But, being beautiful was only one thing that made Beth so intimidating and wonderful as the same time.  She was the best playmate, coming up with the most creative and imaginative games, mostly involving acting and putting on shows.  She was also my biggest defender.  Don't get me wrong, she could be as cutting and cruel as any other big sister in the world, but when someone was picking on me she would put a stop to it.  She even defended my when I was just being a brat.

We had a backyard swing set.  One day when we were playing, some neighbor kids came over and tried to use the swing.  I don't know what was bugging me but somehow, it just didn't sit well with me and a had a screaming crying tantrum to get those bewildered kids of my damn swings.  I was sitting on the swing pouting as I listened to my sister tell those kids a very made-up story of those swings being given to me by some dead aunt or something.  I don't remember the exact story, but I do remember being very impressed with her ability to come up with and deliver such a convincing lie in order to save my reputation from being the neighborhood brat.

I could go on and on ad nauseum about grade school, high school and present day squabbles and rivalries and ultimately loving and fabulous memories.  I may write more of those stories later, vut for now, I want to just tell you this about my sister.

She is better than me in every way and I begrudge her none of it.  She is more beautiful, smarted, thinner, more talented and accomplished.  But I have one thing on her.  My hair color is still natural, and she has to dye hers to cover the gray!  Thanks for being my best friend!