Dear Rachel,
Happy birthday! I imagine that this year feels just like last year, except a little closer to being done with the current job and moving on to a new one. Maybe this year, you can visit me for a change.
I like to roll my eyes, but really, I’m endlessly impressed by you. Your dedication and drive are incredible. I love that instead of reading about cool things and saying, “I wish I could do that,” you say, “I’m going to do that,” and then you proceed to blow everyone away with your adventures. I hope that when I’m as old as you, I can be half so interesting.
Even though we used to fight a lot, my favorite memories are with you. I loved making snowmen and snow angels. I don’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t skipped church together to walk in the park all summer. LeakyCon was a blast, and we should do it again some time. When I was younger, thank you for reading to me, even if the books you chose were maybe not quite age-appropriate. Also, sorry about destroying so many of your books when I was little. Thanks, endlessly, for introducing me to Rent, the most glorious musical in the history of musicals that are not by StarKid. Thank you for teaching me to cook, and especially for the cheesecake on my fourteenth birthday. Thank you for always telling me that I am capable of things when I don’t know if I can do them.
I’ve always thought you were so grown up, but I’m glad that you still like the things that I like and we can talk like sisters now instead of mortal enemies. Our conversations about Harry Potter and Glee and YA books and the PCV life are always fantastic. And our serious conversations are also pretty good (not that there’s anything non-serious about Harry Potter. HP is very serious. Siriusly).
So you’re a pretty beautiful sister. No, wait. Beautiful? Try
I love you! Happy birthday.
I Definitely Have Life Plans 