Rainbow Hunters

Not too long ago, I would make my little sister sit in the game room and be the student while I played teacher. I'd put saran wrap on the window and pretend it was an overhead machine. I'd give her quizzes and generally torture her. Not too long before that, we'd run around the house playing rainbow hunters with a little plastic prism. We'd find places the sun leaked in and use our magic prism to make rainbows.

Since then, we've watched each other fall in love and get our our hearts broken. We've both been through serious health crisis (I mean, lungs collapsing and everything). We've buried our Dad. We've been rocks and bowls of jello, but never at the same time.

Last week I watched her graduate from college and on Monday we'll travel together to Utah for a grown up girls vacation. We are both adults with educations and plans and dreams for our own lives. One day, sooner than later, we'll have our own new families.

This is the way of things. You grow up and do things on your own. All those days you thought were boring, like the day you went to the nursery with your dad and sister and got a Christmas tree. Or the day you learned to water ski with your family cheering you on. Or the time she threw up green beans. Or that day you all sat around and watched football and drank Cokes, are the best days.

And I suspect that one day, when I have two kids and a job and a husband and a house to run, these will be the best days. The days when I had time to sit on my couch and drink tea and write a blog.

Every day is the best day. You just don't know it until they are gone.