Happy Birthday, Kim

Today is my sister Kim's 34th birthday. Happy Birthday! I don't think she realizes how much I look up to her. Every essay I wrote in school about my role model was about Kim. I wanted to be just like her. She was always pretty and quirky and smart and strong. Growing up, besides Lily, Kim was my only playmate. When she left for college, I wanted to go with her because she was practically my mom after my dad died when I was seven and Kim was fourteen. I followed Kim around like a puppy dog. She let me go to my first sock-hop when mom was out of town. We slept on the same pull out couch in a fifth-wheel for two years. She always got mad because I scooted over to her side. In retrospect, it must have been hard for Kim because she was just a kid often responsible for me. Neither one of us really had a childhood. I was always jealous of Kim and thought mom loved her more because when Kim wanted John to leave, he left for a while. He came back the same day Kim left for college. And when I told mom he had to leave, she sent me away. Kim is still as smart and pretty as she ever was. She is a talented writer. She is happily married to Tony whom she met her first day of college. She has managed to make a life for herself that I haven't been able to yet. She deserves all the good she has found. I love you, Kim.