Ten Reasons Why My 40-Year-Old Sister Is Awesome

It's my sister's 40th birthday today. (Hopefully that wasn't supposed to be a secret, because it's kinda too late.) So far it's been quite the social media event for me. Geni reminded me (Thanks, Sacks.) and I've enlisted an army of Twitter friends to wish her happy bday. (Please add your wishes!)

I am the youngest of five kids and Mary is my only sister. You can only imagine how annoying I was as a younger sister. No, actually, you can't. I thought everything she did (and wore) was cool (even the Hammer pants). I always "borrowed" stuff without asking in our cramped house and somehow she resisted the urge to kill me. 

Here are ten other reasons she's awesome:

1. She is the rock of our family. She does so much to take care of everyone, while I just selfishly move to California then flit all over the world.

2. She married very well. Mary married her childhood sweetheart Robert, who she started dating when I was in 7th grade. He was probably closer to me growing up than my two oldest brothers who were out of the house by then. Robert is an amazing cook, hilarious, drinks as much wine at family functions as I do, and is a perfect in-law companion to Mr. Lacy. He's also done a lot for my family. It's rare when you can't think of a better person for your sibling to be married to.

3. She has great kids. Ramie and Bob are just awesome. I took care of Ramie two days a week for about six months when she was young, I was in college, my sister was getting her Master's Degree and none of us had any money. I still cherish that time and wish I'd had more of it with Bob. I've always said if we could get it in writing that we'd have kids that awesome, we'd do it tomorrow. (Or when I stop traveling all over the world.)

4. She doesn't take any shit. I mean-- she's more outspoken than I am. Can you imagine? Yeah, don't mess with her.

5. So, my mom taught at the beloved girls school I went to from k-12. We carpooled there everyday for 13 years. It's some of my best memories growing up and cemented an amazing relationship with my mother. Now my sister (who only went there for high school because she liked boys too much) teaches at the same school and my niece goes there. Isn't that awesome?

6. She drove an old blue-and-white Dodge Dart in high school that used to belong to my grandmother. She named it "Velma" after my grandmother. I shared a Toyota hatchback. I was grateful, but it's comparatively lame. :(

7. Mary and Robert make me grilled cheese sandwiches and rotel dip when I visit. Any time day or night!

8. She gives the most thoughtful gifts and is the one sibling who *always* remembers my birthday. I just write lame blog posts from India for her...

9. She was a far bigger romantic than I was growing up, but still, she spent a lot of time mopping up my tears over boys. We even went on a double date with my first boyfriend when I was in 8th grade. How cool is that for a high school sister? (Awkwardly enough, my boyfriend was also in high school. . .so really I guess I was the one out of place.)

10. She's my sister. There is just something about having a sister. Surrounded by two older brothers, she refused to admit my brother two years older than me, Peter, was a boy for a while and insisted on putting barrettes in his hair. She was elated when I was born a girl. She insisted on calling me "Suzy" for a while, which some brain-dead PR people still call me. We do have to stick together, even when one steals the other's Hammer pants.