A Birthday Gift

I was digging through old files for my school records.  As expected, when you begin such an exercise you are bound to re-discover some old treasures.  I did.  Like old hand-made cards and lots of notes and letters  One that struck me as most touching was a poem from my sister.  On 17 October in 1998, her birthday, she wrote poems to everyone in the family (Nicole reminded me).  For me she wrote:

For thirty one years
I've watched your every step.
Wondering how you stood your ground,
When I could have only wept.

You thought you were in my shadow,
That's what once you've said.
And I've questioned ever since,
how you couldn't see the truth instead.

If you look back then you'd see,
It has aways been your shadow,
   where else would I want to be?

The words became familiar.  The love, so much more.

Happy birthday to you, sis!