Anyways, there are a lot of people I admire, but one that sticks out is someone that even a year ago, I never would have considered for a post like this. But things have changed, and I can safely say I do hold a deep admiration and respect for my little sister, Hannah Grace.
Of my six younger siblings, five of them are brothers. Now don't get me wrong, I love them to death--craziness and all--but there's something special about a sister. Especially mine. :)
After Richmond and Greyson were born, I was determined that the next Lee baby should be a girl. It seemed like all my friends had sisters, except for me. I was stuck with Hooligan 1 and Hooligan 2. ;) Finally, finally when I was seven years old, Hannah was born!
At the time, I thought that was seriously the best day of my life. When Dad called home from the hospital and said Lee Baby #4 was a girl, I went ballistic--cartwheels, flipping upside down on the couch, climbing on the kitchen table--the whole bit!
I envisioned tea parties, dress-up, warrior princesses (my current favorite game), playing dolls...everything I wasn't doing with two little brothers. The seven year age gap, however, soon proved to be a major setback for a close relationship.
I ended up still running around outside with my brothers chasing each other with baseball bats, climbing trees, and digging in the dirt--while she soaked up everyone's attention. I'm not gonna lie, there was a time where I was jealous of her.
She was pretty. Everyone loved her. She looked like a perfect blonde angel, while I was just this unkempt, mismatched, clumsy, shy bookworm with glasses.
As we got older, I began to realize how exactly opposite two sisters can be! She could play the piano by ear, while I stumbled through lessons reading notes for years. She was an excellent artist, while I just made messes that few appreciated. She loved cats, I was a dog person. She amazed everyone with her grace at ballet--I was awkward and could never master the fifth position. She had the "voice of an angel", whereas when I sang, everyone discreetly slipped out of the room. She always loved baseball and volleyball, the two sports I could never get into, while I enjoyed soccer, basketball, and running. She never had any trouble talking to people, while I spent most of my life hiding behind the sofa, in bathroom stalls, or with a bag over my head just to avoid talking to people.
Andddd...I think you get the picture. Having a sister wasn't all it cracked up to be.
Then, if it couldn't get any worse, she started copying everything I did, in my mind taking away the few things that I considered solely me.
When I announced that I wanted to be a goat farmer when I grew up, she said she wanted to be one too. Every time I played street basketball or flag football with the neighbor kids, she wanted to be right out there with me. I decided I wanted a horse-themed bedroom, suddenly so did she. I hated the color pink, she made up her mind to loathe it as well. When brownies dipped in marinara sauce was my favorite food combination, it was hers too. And the one time I ever painted anything that looked remotely life-like and beautiful even, she went directly after and drew a similar picture and hung it on the wall.
I was annoyed, to say the least. But eventually, I came to see it as a sort of compliment. She was imitating me because she looked up to me because she loved me.
Now, of course, we still don't always see eye-to-eye on everything, but that's okay. After all, we're pretty different, as far as sisters go. Nonetheless, I now admire her as much as she admires me! Now we're seventeen and ten, respectively, and can do more stuff together.
She's patient with me when I attempt to French braid her hair (never quite figured it out...), leave my clothes all over her floor, and sing loudly while she's forced to listen. Muahahahaha. ;) And together, we can totally hold out own against the five boys!
She's sweet, cheerful, graceful, beautiful, compassionate, artistic, and in love with Jesus. :) And you know what?...she's a pretty awesome little sister!
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