A Birthday Tribute

I don't really have a lot of digital pictures of Cheryl so this one will have to do.

Happy Birthday Chez!!!

How do I begin? How about a few quotes to get me started...

"I know some sisters who only see each other on Mother's Day and some who will never speak again. But most are like my sister and me... linked by volatile love, best friends who make other best friends ever so slightly less best." ~Patricia Volk

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life." ~Isadora James

Growing up I always wanted to be like my big sister. There were many times where I would revise a comment in order to gain the approval of my sister. Wherever she went I wanted to go. Whatever she did I wanted to do. I thought the world of her and still do. As a little girl I would love that my mom would make me a dress out of the same fabric she made Cheryl's dress. There was virtually nothing she could do to become less in my little eyes. She was my sister.

Cheryl has always had a fun bubbly personality that was attractive to so many people. In school she was my mom's little social butterfly. The amazing part was that even through her socializing she still was able to pull good grades. Withing the realm of our extended family Cheryl was "the" cousin for the younger girls. There were three other cousins between Cheryl and I and those cousins also thought the world of her. Sometimes it was hard to try and measure up to Cheryl.

It's hard to talk about Cheryl in the earlier years because I would never want to make her feel bad, but she and I were not as close as I would have liked. Many times she saw me as a tag-a-long (which I was), a boob (which I also was), and an annoying little sister (yes, I was that too). Despite it all I was still always on her side when she and Brian would fight. It would really upset me that Brian would treat her that way and I was always trying to defend her as I yelled at Brian to leave her alone. Sometimes, as sisters do, she would make me mad. One such time I recall pulling all of her clothes out of the dresser drawers and throwing them all over the room which we shared, but I also recall many nights in that room when we would giggle and giggle until my mom got after us to go to sleep.

Another time I recall vividly with my sister was when she invited me (as a twelve-year-old) to go to the mall with her. That made my day. She had just recently received a drivers license and wanted me to go with her. That was the best thing she could have ever done. As we were leaving I recall there was a guy flirting with her in the parking lot and I'm sure she would have liked to flirt back, but didn't too much with me there. I felt so grown up to be hanging out with her.

Our relationship really began to blossom when our family moved from her friends and boyfriend (now husband Erik) in Utah to Oregon. We had just sent Brian to the MTC (missionary training center) and so she was there her senior year without any friends except her little sister. It was then that she started to see I wasn't so bad (I really was growing out of the annoying sister phase). I could see how much she liked me when she returned the summer after her first year of college and wanted to share a room with me even though there was a room she could have all to herself.

Since those days Cheryl and I have grown very close. She truly is my best friend (after Kent of course) and I enjoy talking to her often. Cheryl is the friend I love to discuss many things with including our knowledge of love languages and how they apply to our family members. Since I know Cheryl's love language is words of affirmation I would like to share some true words of affirmation with you all regarding her. Cheryl is very gregarious. There isn't a person I have met yet who doesn't like her. She is a loyal friend. She is a beautiful strong woman. She is a faithful and devoted daughter to her Heavenly Father and she has such strong desires to be the best mother and wife possible. She seeks God's will in order to be that for her family. She has been there for me through some very rough times and she has been my shoulder to cry on. She is the first person I think of if I want to go shopping or go out to lunch for celebration. She is the one I want to play with and celebrate with. I wish I could have celebrated with her tonight. I am so thankful for the wonderful gift God gave me of having an older sister. Because of her I have a hard time imagining anyone living life without a sister. She's been such a blessing to me and for that I am so grateful. Happy birthday Cheryl, I love you!