Warm Fuzzy #1

First Met: Troy, Idaho
# of years known: 30 years

This person was my first best friend. She is the only person I have ever been able to share a room with successfully. She always followed me and would do anything I asked her to. She was my cohort in just about everything I did growing up. She let me finish her desserts as I was her "fairy godmother". She often hid her left over lunch food under her pillow (so mom wouldn't find it) and helped me to spy on the "Little Ones". She even (accidentally) helped pull out my tooth by yanking on her blanket while it was in my mouth (don't ask why the blanket was in my mouth). She also played "hippo and rhino" with me even though she absolutely hated it. (Hippo and Rhino was this game where you take pillows and put them on your head and butt heads together--I loved it!) She was the only one in the family who actually sat through my laundry classes without complaining. (When my siblings became "of age" (9) they had to learn how to laundry and I professed it my job to teach them. So I taught classes complete with tests to make sure they understood the proper steps in doing laundry)

As we got older, she became my confidant--even though we would fight she was the one I would always turn to for support. She was my cheerleader and believed in me no matter how silly of an idea I came up with. She was always supportive in all I did and inspired me by the level of confidence she showed in me. I didn't have to worry about having friends at school cause no matter what happened, I had one at home. She was/is very smart and always inspired me to high academic achievement with her straight As in high school. She made being smart look easy. Mom always said that I got the gumption and she got the perfection. We made such a great team cause she covered up what I left undone...... She could also interpret my speech as I had/have a tendency to slur my words and on many occasion make up my own. She often was able to tell others what I was trying to say. Saved me on many occasions within the family and socially with friends.

When I moved to Missoula, things got a little distant between us as the roles changed. In 1999 she took the lead in the family by being the first one to marry. She and her husband have also ventured into uncharted waters in starting their own business. Our roads have diverged but she still is my cheerleader. She still is my "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" and a stable force in my life....I love being able to share our lives and learn from each other.

So here is to you--my sister, my friend..........I love you.