I Feel Old . . .

Tomorrow (September 1st) my only sibling turns 20. I can’t believe Emily is officially no longer a teenager. She totally gets mad at me because she says I’ll never see her as the adult she is growing up to be (as a sophomore at Judson College in Marion, AL), but I totally have the older sister syndrome: she’ll always be little to me. I know my confession universally drives younger siblings crazy, by the way.

I remember the day she was born in Nashville, TN. My dad and I rushed my mom to the hospital on a Sunday after church. I was mad because it meant I didn’t get to go the final swim party of the year. However, once the thought settled in to six year old me that I was getting a real life sister (and not a baby doll), I was happy nonetheless. Mom’s labor was long into the evening, so I was ushered out of the waiting room with Gran and Granddaddy (my mom’s parents) to sleep at their house for the night. Gran woke me up the next day with the great news that Mary Emily Evans was born, healthy as she could be. I was even allowed to call my friends back in our Orlinda, TN home long distance to tell them the great news! I was so excited to have her in our family I could hardly contain myself.

I remember the day before Emily started kindergarten. I was horrified that she would attend school unable to write her name, so "Elizabeth school" was set in motion. I took her out to the back porch of our Chattanooga, TN home until she could write letters of her name legibly. I was probably quite hard on her, but she didn't know any better at the time to tell me to stop. I think we were there for hours, but the look of joy on her face when it was all said and done was worth our time. I still wonder still if her kindergarden teacher was as impressed as I was with my work.

I remember the time that Emily first began to drive. Boy, I was scared! I’m sure I was just as frightening of a driver when I was her age, but it was hard to not want to take over the wheel and watch her make mistakes. We fought a lot then as it seemed that every time I came home from college we would be venturing out together from our Pulaski, TN home to hit the mall in the next town over or just to Wal-Mart up the street. Often I wouldn’t allow her to get the practice she needed out of fear of my life. But, eventually she got better and I became less of a drama queen about the whole experience. We ride together nicely now (well, most of the time).

For these and many more memories, I am thankful to call Emily my sister and friend. So, Happy Birthday, Emie! I wish you all the happiness in the year ahead.