"Happy to you!"

That's Happy Birthday in Riley-ish. This time to my big sister. And again - this time very late.

I was going to do a Top Three of Serena memories too, like I did with Chuck, but they almost invariably end with one or the other (or both!) of us wetting our pants laughing so hard. Not really something I want wafting around in the blogosphere.

But that's my relationship with Serena - it's not so much about the big moments but all of the little ones. And they've gotten better over the years with each new stage of our lives. We may not have been the best of friends when we were younger (and she has the scars from me digging my fingernails into her arms to prove it! Which by the way, were not undeserved - I have scars on my soul... like from her telling me mom and dad didn't love me and that's why I got disciplined more... but I digress...)

Each stage of our lives has made us better friends. She does things first and then helps me know how to do them. Like college, when she was a senior and humbled herself to be roommates with me my freshman year, sat with me in chapel, ate with me in the cafeteria, let me tag along on trips and meals out with her and Marc, ... got me through that first hard year away from home (FAR AWAY from home). And then after she was married, letting me spend Sundays for the next 3 years at their house, hosting birthdays and holidays, bringing me medicine and a heat pad when I got bronchitis, taking me along to the beach and the movies, ...

And then early marriage, living in the same apartment complex, spending Sundays together, going to Dodger games, living in a gangsta's paradise, working together at Legacy, ... Most of my teaching style I picked up from her. Those are good memories.

And then - the greatest stage of all - being moms together. I've watched (and copied) everything she does and have learned so much from her. Like how to hold onto a child that is kicking and screaming and somehow get them buckled into a carseat with a 5 point harness - has come in very handy. And even more importantly, that that same child doesn't do that anymore so I just need to persevere with my own little tornado.

So Serena, I'll just say this: I do not know what I would be like without you. I really don't. I love you very much.

"HAPPY TO YOU!!!"

Ok, so maybe just one wetting-my-pants-laughing-so-hard story. So we were heading into a store one time, I think I was in about 11th grade, and on the sidewalk I saw some pennies and nickels. I got pretty excited because hey, a penny here and there might not be a big deal, but a whole handful? And nickels? So I started picking them all up. And then I saw there were dimes! And QUARTERS! Like somebody had just tossed their change jar out of the car window. We had started laughing so of course I suddenly needed to find a restroom. I heaved all of my loot at her and went tearing into the store to find a bathroom (which was way at the back of the store!) only to discover it was one of those kind where you have to insert a quarter to open the door. By the time I got back to Serena and all the quarters it was too late.