Sister Hannah (Originally posted June 13, 2007)

TRANSFERRED FROM IVILLAGE Most of you know, having read my blog for quite some time, that I usually don't use people's real names...I use initials or I make something up. This is one of those rare occasions when I'm going to use someone's real name - and I DARE her to give me a hard time about it! :) My sister, Hannah, lives in Florida - a state to which I have never been. She is getting married on July 27th to her long-time boyfriend, Kyle. I have never met Kyle, but from everything I've heard, he treats her like gold and absolutely adores her, which is good enough for me. I've spoken to him on the phone many times, but never actually met him. I think Kyle knows how close Hannah and I are, even though we haven't seen one another since I was married in '00, and he knows that if he treats her wrong, he and I will have words. Though they've been together as long as I've been married (just about) and I think they would have had problems by now, if they were going to have them at all. Hannah recently sent me a long e-mail telling me that she doesn't want to be 40 years old the next time we see one another, and said that she feels like we're drifting apart. I responded by telling her that we're not drifting apart - that we live in two different states, with many states in between, and neither one of us has the means to visit the other right now. I know she loves me and she knows I love her and that's enough. Life happens, you know? You get a job that you have to go to every day, and have bills that need to be paid and can't be paid if you don't go to your job. It's a vicious circle, but that's just the way things are. Also, pets are hard to pawn off on someone while you take a trip. .oO(I wonder what they'll do with their animals while they're on their honeymoon?) She shouldn't worry about us, though I think she thinks she doesn't really know me anymore. I have also encouraged her to start gift registries. I remember when I got married I was uncomfortable with the whole "registry" thing because I felt like I was asking people to buy stuff for me...and I was pretty sure she felt the same way. I explained that having a registry of things you REALLY like was better than people not knowing what to get you and getting you something you don't like. She took my word on it and started her registries. They're small, but they're a start and I think she has FABULOUS taste, if I do say so myself! Hannah - I just wanted to let you know how much I love and respect you. You've grown up to be an extremely beautiful person, inside and out and I am SO proud of you!!! Congratulations, sweetie! TTFN JMS PS: I just felt I had to share all that - sorry if it was a bit sappy and uninteresting, but it was important to me.