Happy Birthday Sister

Today is my younger sister's birthday. As usual, I try to use that day as a small blog tribute to that person. I will try to do this with lots of class and feeling and as little tear shed as possible.
I was three when my sister, Sheri was born. I have heard very few stories about me not liking my new baby sister. I seemed pretty okay with her. Of course as we got older, that changed considerably. We just had the usual sibling squabbles, nothing too serious. Eventually that gave way to what we have evolved into today. The very best of friends... ever.
To sum it up, we have each other's backs. We may not always agree nor do we have to agree on everything just because we are siblings but most of the time it works out that way. We would drop anything and everything to help the other out. We have celebrated all of our greatest days together as well as all of our heartbreaks together. Each lending support and love to the other. We have shared so many of the same things in our lives that only siblings can. We have had to stick by each other and be there for each other.
My daughters are blessed to have a wonderful auntie. She is the "cool" aunt. She is the one who bought them the loud toys, let them eat popsicles for breakfast and baked cookies with them. She is the sounding board for them when they don't want mom to know everything. She takes them shopping and kisses their hurts. She is the other mom to my girls.
She has given me the gift of my one and only niece. She is a fabulous mom herself and of course I like to brag and say that she got it all from watching me. But that would be short changing her. She is a great mom in her own right. Her sweet daughter is a reflection of the good parenting she gets.
My youngest sister is sometimes my oldest sister. She watches out for me with a ferocity of a mother lion. She has taken care of me when I have been so close to the edge. She has been my health advocate when noone else could help. She was there for the births of both her nieces and was a big help to her brother in law, Bob.
Probably more than 90% of the funny stories about my life involve my sister. Every funny memory, funny occurence, quote or whatever is somehow connected to Sheri. The real thing is this, I love my sister, she and I are not perfect, close but not perfect. I have and always will cherish my relationship with her. We seem to be able to have a pretty darn good time together and look forward to those times.
I feel very very blessed to have my sister also be my closest friend in the world, the best confidant, the whole package.
Happy Birthday to my sweet baby sister and hope today is filled with all that you love and all of the joy like you give to me.