SUPER KIM!

Today is my bestest little sister's birthday, although she's not exactly little any more. Happy 25th, Kim! Welcome to the second quarter-century!

One of the hardest aspects of living in England is the distance it puts between me and my family and friends back in Canada. In the case of my sister this distance seems particularly onerous because we are very close friends and this friendship is something that we had to wait most of our lives for.

In a land and time far far away, when we were little girls, Kim and I shared a bedroom. This did not go over well, as we had very different personal styles and requirements for a bedroom space. Me: everything in it's place; Kim: chaos. (Funny that these days she rivals me in tidy-ness and keeps a spotless house). I vaguely remember lots of yelling, the odd hair pull, and the requisite line of masking tape down the middle of the floor. I also remember Kim gleefully getting me back for the 'honour' of having the top bunk bed - being on the bottom meant she could lie on her back, stick her legs in the air and give my mattess a good kick!

As we grew older we continued to develop different interests but still shared a pretty good bond as teen-aged sisters. Kim was always the fun, sporty tomboy who provided a good foil to my nerdy bookish-ness. We still continued to argue every now and again, particularly over my driving abilities (when I used to drive us to school), but we also shared a lot of amazing experiences together on our journey into adulthood.

Now when I look at my baby sister I see a beautiful, intelligent, confident young woman who has the ability to take on the world - and win. I am extremely proud of the person she is and the very deep friendship we have developed over the last few years. She is doing so well in her pursuit of her doctorate degree and still manages to keep a balance life in terms of sports and a long-term relationship with Garrett (a truly terrific guy, I might add). I only wish she was finished her degree, and making tons of cash, so she could hop on a plane at a moment's notice for a little visit.

Happy, happy birthday, Kim. Do you have any idea how much I'd like to just swing by your place, bundle you in the car, and take you out for chocolate cake?