Here’s To You, Deanne! A Toast to My Sister on Her Fiftieth Birthday

I am the youngest of four children.  I was blessed to have a wonderful oldest sister named Roxanne and I am still blessed by my other older sister, Deanne, and an older brother, Jason.  Today is Deanne’s fiftieth birthday, and I toast to her! 

Here’s to you, Deanne, on your fiftieth birthday.

Here’s to you, my loving sister, who was always willing to babysit me and made me laugh when you pretended to eat my arm like it was a hot dog. Here’s to you, who would write me my own personal letters, sent just to me, from across the country when you moved away.  Here’s to you, who always makes people feel special.

Here’s to you, my adventurous sister, who moved across the country to follow a dream at 22 and made a new life – but never forgot home.  Here’s to you who traveled the world. Here’s to you who joined me and Josiah on a hike with no idea where it led, and who ran ten kilometres back to get us the car when we ended up in the next town over.

Here’s to you, my beautiful sister, who makes yoga pants look as elegant as formal wear.  Here’s to you who my friend once described as “looking like a goddess.” Here’s to you who buys what she likes and likes what she buys.

Here’s to you, my energetic sister, who hikes the grind without a pause.  Here’s to the one who parks as far from stores as possible to get an extra chance to walk. Here’s to you who wears me out, and then whips up a batch of cookies while I take a rest.

Here’s to you, my efficient sister.  Here’s to you who resents packing anything bigger than a carry-on bag when she travels.  Here’s to you who gets stuff done. Here’s to you who makes a day count.

Here’s to you, my strong sister, who faced the unbearable when both her sons had a catastrophic accident. Here’s to you who was at the hospital by seven every morning and stayed until you got kicked out. Here’s to you who held your sixteen year old son to calm his body while he flayed in a coma. Here’s to you who sat with your fourteen year old in an I.C.U thousands of miles from home. Here’s to you who kept it together.  Here’s to you who inspired me.

Here’s to you, my hilarious sister, who doesn’t always know why she’s funny.  Here’s to you who makes her kids and husband crack up. Here’s to you who always wants to be in on the joke. When others say you’re funny, I say “I confer.”

Here’s to you, my beloved sister, one of our three rhyming “-annes.”  Here’s to you who was the keep-the-peace one. Here’s to you who has always been who we needed you to be, just as you are. Here’s to you who understands that we are now incomplete, but we are whole together.

Here’s to you, my older sister. Here’s to you, my role model. Here’s to you who will always be older – so that I will never stop having someone to look up to.

Here’s to you, Deanne!  Here’s to you, who is loved at fifty and always.