The Bold and Beautiful!

My oldest niece is quite the shutterbug. She carries and uses a camera as much as her cell phone. I equate her constant snapping of photos to a similar scenario movie stars must endure when followed by one of the paparazzi with flashes going off all around.

Yet, it is funny how such unassuming moments, and the least planned poses seem to produce the best pictures, just like the photograph below. THIS is my FAVORITE image of my sister and me. The two of us acting silly at a little tea party held at a local teahouse, where I took my sister and nieces during a visit to Kansas.

This coming weekend, I will be seeing this Bold and Beautiful Lady wearing the gray hat and doling out lumps of sugar in proper fashion... notice the outstretched pinkie finger.

She is graduating from college, and I have the enormous pleasure of attending this momentous occasion in her life.

I AM SO PROUD OF HER! Of course because she has persevered and accomplished a milestone while juggling two kids (now teenagers), a full time job, soccer practices, basketball practices, gymnastics practices, husband, pets, and household. But, EVEN MORE PROUD for the strong, confident, independent individual I have seen her become.

We have not always had the best relationship. As children we were quite close, but adolescence stepped in, as it always does, and I suddenly became too busy to be bothered by a sibling that was much younger than myself.

As years passed and I entered the early years of adulthood, I had that desire to reconnect. However, my sister was then plagued by pesky teenage angst, so we continued to go our separate ways.

It would not be until I was in my early 30's before I would again enjoy the closeness we had experience as children, except now... we were women, with busy lives, living roughly 12 hours away.

Although, I don't have the luxury of seeing my sister every day, or weekly, or even monthly, we still try to talk once a week or every two weeks. She is a great listener and always gives me thoughtful advise.

I treasure my sister's company and her wisdom. And, I look forward to many more years of silly moments, like the one in the picture, us sharing, and our friendship.