Today, our older sister turns 50. It’s a number that a year ago, I would have whispered or lied about because truth be told…it makes ME feel older and for years, society has told me that getting older is not a good thing.  It’s strange how that works.  Through living comes wisdom, experience and enlightenment, but when you cross over that “invisible number” as a woman something happens to you.  But that was me a year ago before Oprah’s Lifeclass on aging beautifully.  It was during that lesson that I realized there is much to celebrate with a number.  With each year of life, there is a lot to be proud of and even more, a lot to look forward to.  Life is about moving forward in our journey and that means everything about you moves forward too.

For years, my relationship with my older sister has been a cornerstone of my life.  We’ve fought. We’ve loved. We’ve argued. We’ve laughed. There are moments in my life that only she understands…and moments in her life that only I have been part of.  There is an invisible bond of sisters in our family that runs deep through the generations. No matter what happens, we all stand together and stronger for it.

So today, our wonderful sister who has touched so many lives – the children she helped during her job at a battered woman’s shelter…the women who she helped with rebuilding their lives….the families that she counseled…the veterans who she listened to and saved their lives…and so many more – my sister is having a birthday today.  So, while it’s time for a big celebration of how the past 50 years have brought growth and love and have created an amazing woman, I am also inspired by the lives that she’s touched and the difference she has made in the world.  Sometimes it’s hard to see that difference because we are too close to the work.  The people we’ve helped.  The lives that we’ve touched.  The impact we’ve made.  So, today is a reminder for me that it’s important to celebrate our journey and the lives we’ve touched…and understand that while we may forget the names of everyone we meet along the path, those who are closest in our own lives have also been changed by our actions too. I have been changed by you sis.  Happy birthday!