5.01.2012

The college graduate

My little sister will walk across a collage graduation stage Friday.

My little sister.  Katie.  The kid who was seven when I went to college.  This Katie:


What?!? When did she grow up and become all collegiate and stuff?

But now, she's a grown woman.  She can legally drink beer.  Gulp.  For some reason, it's not weird for me to think that I'm married and have two children, but it's weird to think of my sister as 22 and all grown up holding a beer in her hand! 

Katie and I share a special bond despite there being nearly 11 years difference in our ages.  We shared a room and a bed growing up.  She was little and I was afraid of her falling out, so I'd wrap my arm around her to keep her safe.  I can't remember if she asked me to or if I just did it, but I wanted to keep her safe.  I'd read her Bible stories and books before she nodded off and I was there when she asked Jesus into her heart.  She told me she wanted Jesus in her heart and I led her in the prayer.  I went off to college and other siblings moved out and freed up rooms in the house for me to use when I'd come home for breaks...but I never slept in them.  I went back to sharing a room with Katie.  She kept getting bigger and didn't need my arm around her anymore because it had been ages since she'd fallen out of bed.  We'd stay up for hours talking, swapping stories and giggling until we both had uncontrollable hiccups and our laughter filled the room in audible precision - basically, she stole my laugh :-).  I'd tease her about John, her boyfriend then -- and now -- and how he needed to cut his hair.  She was growing up.  Fast.  We'd stay up stupid late talking about who knows what now, but the memories in my heart remain.  Then I graduated college and left to work in the Wild Blue Wonder, but I was always welcome in our room when I'd come home to visit.  I wouldn't sleep anywhere else. And when I went back home the week before I got married, we still shared a room despite there being extra beds and space for me elsewhere.  It just seemed right.

Katie is beautiful in and out and I'm so grateful for those special moments in our room. There's nary a trace of that room ever being mine, but the walls contain memories upon memories of laughing on that bed.

Katie, I'm so, so proud of all the hard work you've put into graduating from the University of Houston. You've not only worked job after job to help support yourself through college, but you're graduating summa cum laude!  I love you so, so much and I wish I could have been there to see you grow up more, but I look at the woman you've become and am really proud of you. Still, there's a little part of me that will always see you as this:


(And in case you're wondering if I cried while writing this post, the answer is yes)

2 comments:

Freddie Taylor said...

Great story Jen. Love it. And there is only one correction for which I apologize. She is graduating Friday week,,,not this Friday. I was mistaken.
Love you,

Mom

Anonymous said...

This is super touching--i loved every word. Thank you!

LOVE YOU and cant wait to see YOU!

--MKCT

p.s. john liked his shout out