My Sister Says…Happy Birthday

Once upon a time there was a princess who lived in a magical castle just inside perfect village. Her royal presence could be felt by anyone who came near the child. But today marks the princess’s sixteenth birthday and she’s already grown into a full blown queen. However, the fairytale begins long ago, in a time before iPhones and Brownback, a time post 1999 and pre 9/11.

The princess’s blue eyes and bald head epitomized all the hope that lay ahead for the next century. Beginning with her first breath, the princess commanded attention everywhere she went. From her shouts of terror to her laughs of joy, her presence was undeniable. She could be heard from any corner of the grocery store, or seen from any wing of the hallway.

Everyone knew she was special. But not the kind of special that makes for the picture perfect person, she was the kind of special that would leave you puzzled. There was no one else on this planet like her. She had been blessed with the gift of resilience, yet could follow you like a gray cloud for days. She could always make you laugh, yet turn introverted on a dime. She was a science genius, yet a graphic design goddess. The princess was a walking paradox.

She qualified as the rarest personality type in the world, an architect, they called it. Architects are described as “mysterious and controversial”, imaginative yet decisive, ambitious yet private and amazingly curious. Two percent of the population exhibits this personality type, and an even fewer 0.8% of them are females. For as many questions as the princess could leave you with, at least one question had been answered; she was special.

She was special in the miraculous way that she could still be nice no matter how many times her older sister called her an idiot, or a loser, or any slew of mean names. She was special in the way that she would open up her closet to anyone, even her older sister, who always stole her clothes without asking anyways. She was special in the way that she could be a friend to anyone, even her older sister whose behavior was questionable at times.

The princess characterized the antithesis of every societal norm or social expectation, but no one else could succeed at being different quite like she had. It was all those differences that made her destined to be a queen. No matter how much her older sister worked to exemplify such royalty, her by-the-book personality could never compare to the princess’s.

And so, as the tale of this princess comes to a close on her sixteenth birthday, the sequel of the up and coming queen should be even better. Anna, life’s a fairytale with you in it. I’m so glad I get to live happily ever after with you.

Love,

Your big sis