As awesome as it would be to hear Charity’s birthday post
about herself today (do bloggers do that?) I asked if she would give me the
honor this time. I must say she is brave
since, being sisters, we know just about everything about each other, even
things we wish we could forget (nothing like mooning each other via text or
anything… we would never). I guess she
took for granted that I am usually nice to people and would never embarrass her
on her birthday. (heheh)
When I was 10 and she was 16 (yes, she is six years older
and has less wrinkles and cellulite than me, shut up) I completely idolized her.
She was somewhat of a rebel behind my parents back and for some reason she trusted
me not to rat her out and would tell me about her secret boy flings. One time she was telling me about how to hold
hands with a boy. She demonstrated to me the two different ways (interlocking
fingers and not) and told me when you hold hands without interlocking fingers
it just means you LIKE them, but if you interlock fingers it means you LOVE
them. I took this as absolute truth for
many years (obviously we were home schooled). I wanted to know how she knew
these important life rules, “Duh, I read
Seventeen.” She said. (Like I knew what
that was!)
When it came time for her to marry (at the ripe young age of
18!) I cried like it was her funeral.
When it came time for me to marry, she
told me things that even Seventeen won’t print and then laughed at my shocked face
(what are sisters for?).
Most of you who know Charity (or even just read her blog) know
that she is REAL, she doesn’t do FAKE very well. That is one of the things I
love so much about her, because you always know where you stand with her. I
would MUCH rather someone be honest with me than leave me wondering all the
time (does everyone not feel this way?). However, only a few of us know the
true depth of her scariness. We have a childhood friend who swears when we were
young Charity RIPPED her dress off of her because she was mad. I’m not sure that is true, given the source,
but I know it COULD be true. She has
even compared herself to Old Yeller when he gets rabies and foams at the mouth
and tries to kill his owners whom he loves. Her words, not mine.
And while I
have never actually seen the foaming (or I would have cast something out of
her), I have legit younger sister fear.
If fact, this summer she and I took a day trip to the beach with our
kids and during the car ride I had to pee so badly I may have permanently
damaged my bladder, but I was too afraid to tell her. Seriously. Afraid. I considered just peeing
in the seat and blaming it on one of the kids. I know she will love me and love
me and love me forever because that’s what she does so well, but the fear is
still there (now that she knows this, I hope she won’t lord it over me). There
is probably some childhood trauma associated with this fear, like her trying to
drown me in the bathtub or something. Oh
wait, never mind, I’m the one who did that.
So for all of you who never knew…. She is scary. And she has my back, so
don’t mess with me, or…. Old Yeller.
If you don’t have someone in your life that you can laugh
with, I truly am sorry. There is such great treasure in laughter and I probably
laugh harder when I am with this girl than when I am with anyone else in the
world. I have definitely seen judging
eyes peer at us when we can’t stop laughing because they think we are drunk.
But it’s the non-alcoholic kind of drunk. The kind that sets your heavy heart
free and hurts your cheeks and wets your pants. She can put you in a good mood
in 10 seconds flat. She gives the gift of laughter so freely and it is
contagious. You seriously want to be her friend right now, don’t you?
She seeks out the deep things of God and doesn’t stop
seeking until she gets ahold of fresh bread from His Spirit. And I’m just going to say, that is hard when
you are 24/7 mother to 4 children who need you every single second. It takes a lot of time and discipline, and
she does it. She is the first to tell you when she needs some Jesus time, and
she will actually take the initiative to GET IT, meet with her Maker and let
him mold her to be more like Him. And then she takes that bread and shares it
with others who are hungry for more. She leads and disciples women beyond just
her church and community…. She will straight up get in the trenches with you.
I’ve seen it. While she teaches FOUR
DIFFERENT GRADES every single day to educate her children. I am in awe of how
gracefully she juggles everything on her plate.
She still walks with a “strut” to beat all (ask her kids to
show you).
She can hold her own in the uptown, posh, civilized circles,
and break out her work gloves and holey jeans to till and shovel and plant the
roughest country ground.
She has swept a hundred miles around her kitchen and dining
room. Seriously, the broom comes out after every meal. Who does that?
She is the hottest 35 year old I know.
It’s her birthday.
Worldwide party!
