The above picture is of me and my younger sister, Michelle, during my graduation weekend in 2007.  I love this picture of us because it’s one of the few times that I can actually get her and her attitude together so that we can enjoy the moment and be genuinely happy.

I love my sister.  And for the record, I love my baby sister, and my brother also.  I would give up a lung, kidney, liver, and some other things for each of them, if the situation required it.  I love them for many reasons- one of which is because they have brought so much joy into my life.  We (my mother, father, and myself) adopted each of them (my two sisters and my brother) when they were each 18 months old.  Fast forward some years, and they are 17, 16, and 14.  It’s been a good journey.

That journey hasn’t been without it’s ups and downs though.  Right now, we’re in the middle of down with my sister, Michelle.  She’s beautiful, smart, hard-working, compassionate…but this teenage phase has transformed her into someone we all hardly recognize.  And it’s taking a toll on the family.

I’m not able to talk to to my sister right now, but here’s what I would tell her if I could:

Dear Michelle,

I want you to know how much I love you.  I know that being a teenager is hard, and there are tough decisions to make, and you’ve done well thus far.  I admire your determination and your passion to follow what you want for yourself.  Not many people your age have those qualities, and it’s good to see that.

I also want you to know that I do believe that there is so much ahead for you in your future.  I believe that you can be whatever you want to be.  I remember we talked about you going into law, and we charted out a plan on how to get you there.  That’s one of my favorite moments with you.  Another favorite moment is when we walked to Wal-Greens and Blockbuster over Christmas break.  And I also remember teaching you how to put on make up, and helping you shop for back to school clothes.  We’ve had some good times together, and I know we’ll have even more.

Please know that even though I’m not there with you, I’m always thinking of you and you can ALWAYS count on me.  Continue to take care of yourself and go after your dreams.  Look out for Sarah and Joshua- they look up to you.  Oh, and don’t give Mom such a hard time.  Really.  Don’t give Mom such a hard time.  And, let her know that you appreciate her every now and then.  And lastly, remember that today’s bad decisions are a down payment on tomorrow’s problems.

I love you,

Erin

For those of you who read this- please pray for my sister.  Being a teenager is hard, and I pray that God continues to watch over her and the rest of my family.  I struggled with some things as a teenager, but because of God’s grace and mercy, I made it through.  I am praying and expecting to be able to say the same thing for my younger sister.

Until next time…