My Favorite Older Sister

Today is my "big" sister's birthday. I have known her for exactly...my whole life. Jess was always the creative one, coming up with activities to keep my younger sister and me busy. She was our doctor, kindly feeding us "medicine" (cat food) when we were "sick." She helped us turn the dining room table into a stage, the mop and broom into microphones, and ourselves into the Beach Boys at a concert. When the Montana dirt driveway flooded, Jess' decided it was our own mud slip'n slide. She single-handedly turned our book collection into a functioning library, complete with check-out cards and a librarian. Boredom didn't stand a chance against a big sister like Jess.

Now, Jess fosters creativity in her own kids. She maintains a healthy balance between safety and adventure. Rather than keeping her kids in bubble suits, as I might be tempted to do, she lets them try things. If an activity is too dangerous, she will obviously re-direct. Otherwise, she gives helpful hints or stands back to watch. As a result, her four-year-old has an active imagination. Last weekend, he was a fireman putting out fires all around us. When he wasn't a fireman, he was a bumble bee. With Jess' help, his little sister should never be bored.

Jess, you are an amazing mom, godly wife, and my favorite older sister. Happy Birthday!