My Sister - My Friend!

I have the most amazing sister!  We are nine years apart and have been best friends since the day she was born (which I claim to be a big part of by praying her here), we have never had a fight or even a slight disagreement.  We shared a bedroom from the time she slept in a crib til the day I moved away to college.  She would approve or dissaprove of my boyfriends (she could do this because she would always meet them and was even known to join me on a few dates), we named our first daughters after each other who happened to be born on the same day 9 years apart, the same number of years we are apart.  We live 2 minutes away from each other and sometimes that's not even close enough.  We dress alike, we sound alike, we decorate alike, we cook the same meals for our families and since we shaved our heads last July with Brynn - we even kind of look alike!  I have learned a lot watching my sister these past few years deal with heartache and unimaginable trials as she helped her daughter Brynn fight cancer.  Some people would crumble and fall apart and deal with it quietly and privately - but not my sister and her family!  They opened their hearts and lives to everyone they came in contact with and because of that we felt their pain and joy and discouragement and love and peace that has helped change so many people for the better.  Everyone my sister comes in contact with always feels that they surely must be her very best friend, she always has hugs and kind words for everyone she meets - that never changed no matter what she was going through!  Because of her example to me, I have realized that I have tended to pull away and separate myself from others when I was feeling sad or hurt or overwhelmed and that is just what I shouldn't do.  So now one of my goals for this year is to open up my heart more - be more friendly, give more service, smile, help strangers, ask people about their lives, pray for opportunites to be of help to someone.  And you know what - its working!  I feel happier, lighter, my troubles don't seem so big - I know this isn't a new concept, but I just get so busy with life that I sometimes forget why I am here and what I need to be doing to learn while I'm here.  Thank you Christy, you may be my little sister but I'm trying to follow your example!