Day 4 - Your sibling (or closest relative)

Dear Brothers,

There are three of you so to be fair, I won't play favorites. At least openly. Heh.

Thanksgiving just passed and while I was a terrible daughter, not calling our father to wish him happy birthday until four days later, I'm not half as bad of a sister if I told you I am thankful for each of you and love you.

All this to say: It's kind of comical, yet totally logical, for me to realize that I feel -- that I am -- so much closer to each of you than to our own parents, combined.

We've had our disagreements and arguments, but we've always been in the same boat -- whether it was sailing or sinking, we taught each other to swim and held on to each other when we drowned. We saved each other and continue to do so -- through tears, through laughter, throughout the years, together.

And while I've frequently found myself envying other people's relationships with their mothers or fathers, I've never once wished for, nor thought about having, any other brothers but you.

(Except, of course, having a sister. But that doesn't count.)

I'm glad that I have been the kind of sibling you can turn to in your times of sadness as much as your times of happiness.

If I don't become a mother in this lifetime, I'll still die smiling, holding on to all of our memories together as sister and brothers.

Day 3 - Your parents

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm sure that, under different circumstances, in a different frame of mind and moment in time, I would write something more positive and substantive and far less abrasive.

But tonight... tonight, I have no other words to say to you, other than the following:

You have been unkind to me these last few months and I still cannot fathom why you refuse to attend my wedding due to "religious" reasons when you have committed some of the biggest sins according to the Bible. I am no longer upset with you, but the distance between us keeps growing and growing, and for some reason, I am okay with that. I am not sad, I am not mad, only deeply disappointed.

I am your daughter, your one and only and oldest one, but there are days where I truly feel like we are complete strangers to each other and I find myself wondering why I still bother.

Embracing another New Year.

For 2012, I'll be living the life I always imagined -- waking up with the sun, going above and beyond at work, doing my best in school, wander around the city, traveling to others, spending time with my loved ones, kissing the man who has my heart, laughing with my girlfriends, making time for writing, reading every night before bed.

What more could anyone ever want?

I have so much to say. But too lazy to say them.

It's been a long week. I should probably head back to my parents' house tonight, but after a long (but fun!) week with friends and coworkers, I am in dire need of "me" time to recharge and reflect before a weekend filled with activity after activity with family and relatives. 

One definite thing on the to-do list, though: After reading Lisa Bloom's eye-opening article earlier this week on "How To Talk to Little Girls" (via A Cup of Jo), I am really looking forward to seeing my little girl cousins and all the conversations we will have about which books currently intrigue them, what subjects fascinate them most at school, and what country/city they'd love to visit some day. 

Happiest Friday.

The bestest women.

I didn't want to hang up the phone. I hung on to their every word.

They never force me to feel anything other than what I am feeling at the moment. They'll let me cry, and then cry along with me. They'll make me laugh, but only when I am ready to. They'll call me out on my bullshit, even when I am too proud or stubborn to realize that I am lying to myself.

They are the bestest women, my mother and my best friend. I'm the luckiest.

There's family, and then there's even more family.

I am getting ready to send this Christmas picture of my family to Manfriend's parents (the penguin was temporarily replacing our baby puppy Sparky), and I am starting to miss all of them tremendously.

My mommy, my daddy. His mom, his dad. My brothers, my dog. His sister, and her darling kids. I can't wait for them to all meet someday soon. Sometime this upcoming year, perhaps? I'm only writing this because the people over at Mervis Diamond Importers curiously sent me an intriguing little card in the mail today...

Um. What? Apparently, someone knows something I obviously don't know. I am slightly peeved that they've ingrained the reality of a proposal so much deeper into my head and heart now, because you totally know this is going to be the very first thought that will cross my mind when I wake up each and every single morning from now on.

...

No, but seriously. Why. Why would they do that to me?! Le sigh. In other news, I should probably make "keeping my nails pretty and lady-like" a number one priority in the next few months. Wouldn't want him to slip it on a grubby-looking finger now, would we?

Home sweet home.

I haven't been home for a while; a few days to a week, maybe. After many "we miss you!"s from my mother, I am indulging her and will be heading back tomorrow tonight.

I look forward to seeing my father's weekly batch of freshly-cut flowers sitting on the kitchen table.

And you can always tell whether or not my parents have entertained important guests recently.

When the weather gets cold, I very much enjoy reading a good book in our living room.

This is because our home starts to resemble a small jungle around this time of year, as my father starts moving his most beloved, exotic plants from his outside garden, indoors.

And although my parents have always made "home" a safe place for me to return to, I can't wait to officially leave the nest soon. To "spread my wings", as they say. To build and to have my own home sweet home.