In the cookies of life, sisters are the chocolate chips...

Overly sweet? Maybe. True? Definitely.

It would be impossible for me to count the amount of times I have been grateful to have a sister. There is something so magical about the relationship between sisters that can not be duplicated with someone else. So on this Christmas Eve I would like to dedicate a post to my sister and here are some reasons why.

1. Remember that time when...

Yes, she does. Without a doubt your sister will remember that time, that story, that memory of something that happened at Grandma's, on vacation, or at that 4th of July BBQ.

Remember that time when we watched "The Indian in the Cupboard"?

I am positive that if my sister was here she would laugh, before finishing telling this story.

She INSISTED on sitting in a rolling office chair, rather than sitting on the couch. When the rat jumped out of the cupboard it scared her, causing her to jump and fall backwards out of that precious office chair she was sitting in.

Thank goodness that was before the influx of 3D movies. She may never have recovered.

2. Guess what mom did...

I have called my sister at least a zillion times and began the conversation in just this way. And every time I did so, she was equally as horrified and amused with our mother as I was. Sisters are the people you can count on to have the same reaction to your parents as you do.

3. Best Friends

My sister is my best friend. She will always answer the phone when I need her to, call me with big news, listen to my big news, laugh or cry with me, endure family get togethers and throw me an eye roll at precisely the right moment.

As children when we would fight my mom would get so upset and tell us: "Your sister will be your best friend one day." We would continue to glare at one another all the while thinking "She will never be my best friend!"

Well Mom, here it is, and listen up-- because I'm only going to say this once: You were right and we were wrong.

4. Family Photos

For all of your embarrassing photos, there are just as many of her.

Thank goodness.

5. Inside Jokes

Sometimes when something is said, it only takes a look from my sister before we have both collapsed into giggles remembering some joke that no one else at the table understands.

The reasons why sisters are the absolute best do not end here, but this is all I will share for now. Having a sister is like having a friend who was created just for you, someone who was born just to keep you company. I do not have a brother, so I cannot say for sure that they aren't as wonderful as a sister, but I am pretty sure they aren't.

So this Christmas, give your sister a hug and a kiss and tell her you love her. I know I will.

"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost." ~Marion C. Garretty

My Therapy

I've always found writing to be a cathartic process. Something that enables you to get out your feelings, using all the words you know in order to do so. And part of being a good writer is to practice your craft. To spend time putting words on a piece of paper, linking thoughts and ideas, weaving a story, that can be so simple, or so complex, but either way it offers some sort of closure to a story inside of you.

So, why did I ever stop doing it? I think part of the problem was thinking that if I wrote something, I would have to show it to people. And what if it wasn't good enough? I love writing, and if someone told me I wasn't good at it, I think it would crush it out of me.

Not that I think I am some great writer, ready to be sold on the shelves of Barnes & Noble. I'm hopeful that one day I could be at that level, but I'm not disillusioned.

So, what is it about writing that helps my soul?

Words are a passion of mine. I love vocabulary, and learning new words. Honestly, the thesaurus is one of my favorite books. I think that words are a gift. To be able to use them, and manipulate them into meaning something beautiful is breathtaking to me. And I really mean that. When I read something beautifully written, it literally takes my breath away.

And to think that I might have the power to use words to take someone else's breath away is both inspiring and horrifying. Letting someone read your work is an intensely personal thing. When you write something, it is literally a part of you, poured out on to paper. And to think that I could share that much of myself with another person is terrifying. Sometimes, I don't even know what is happening inside of me, to share it with another person is… scary. But to know that someone else could read my words, and laugh, or cry, or even relate, is both humbling and exhilarating.

And to think all of this is possible because of words.

Words are defined as this: a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representations that function as a principal carrier of meaning.

And to me, that's what being a writer is. To be a carrier of meaning. And to share that meaning with whatever world is around you. No matter how frightening that may be.

On Life...

One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from a little show called Grey's Anatomy. Perhaps you've heard of it? Anyway, Meredith Grey and I have little in common, but this feeling I have right now can be summed up best by sharing her feelings with you.

"We're grown ups. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop?"

It is not like I am unexcited about my life, or I am unhappy with how things are going, or even that I don't want to be a grown up. But, I just don't know that I feel prepared. For all the college classes, all the life lessons, all the mistakes made- how do I know it is enough? That I am really ready to be a grown up? I want to be ready. I do. But that doesn't stop me from being scared.

And I should tell you that I am not afraid of failure. Terrified is a more accurate term. I am literally terrified that I won't be able to make it. It is a silly thing, really. I shouldn't be scared. I should put my trust and faith in God, and in my abilities and know that I am smart and capable. I graduated from college for goodness sake.

But that is not even the worst part about being a grown up. It is pretty bad, but not the worst. The worst is not even that being a grown up means going to work everyday. And being responsible. And I like working. I like routine, constancy, familiarity. What I don't like is when I get up in the morning I can't just think "Ehh, not today". Because I am a grown up. And grown ups cannot do that. But, again, that is not the worst part.

Here's the worst part of being a grown up. Like Meredith said- when did it happen? I don't even remember it. Sure, I put on a black gown and a funny hat, got my name called and walked across a stage. But that seems a little cliche for it to be the crossing over point from College Student to Grown Up. Maybe when you flip the tassel? Again, a little silly for it to mark such a momentous occasion. I took initiative, I went out and got a job (kind of). I am employed (basically). I claimed 1 on my W4 instead of 0 for the first time in my life. Maybe that was The Moment where I became a grown up? It was certainly the thing that felt most "momentous" throughout all of this.

I just feel like I now need to watch Good Morning America and drink coffee every morning. Which is a problem since my DVR is filled with trashy nighttime dramas meant for tweens and teens and I'd rather have a strawberry milkshake.

But the fact of the matter is this: It happened. I am an adult. A grown up.

I went to college. I put in the work. I took the classes. I graduated.

I filled out the application, made the calls, got a job.

So, I made it happen. When I did those things, I made it happen. The fact that I was too caught up in life to make it ceremonious just means one thing: I am a grown up. I have a life to live. I have things to do, places to be, people who care enough about me to want me around. I didn't have to stop and make it a big deal, because it had been happening all along. I took classes, learned life lessons, made mistakes. And all those things made me a grown up.

And now, my challenge is to make the most of it.