little sis

Tonight, I am going out to celebrate quitting my job with my little sister (haha, not so little, she is 26).  Here is a short list of reasons why having a sister -- my sister in particular -- is one of the best things in the world:

1. She has the same parents as me, so when I complain about them, she actually understands.  She can also help me interpret their sometimes bizarre behavior.  For example, in a g-chat yesterday, my sister said something along the lines of, "Oh don't worry, that wasn't directed specifically at you and your situation, that's just a new dad lecture.  I got it over Christmas."  Which explained why my dad was lecturing me on something I thought was entirely inapplicable to my life.
2. She kind of looks like me.  Strangers think she looks A LOT like me, although one day we stood in the mirror and tried to find some features that were actually the same.  We came up with "thinness of lips."  It's still fun though.
3. She supports me.  All the time.  Even when I am behaving like a complete douche.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes she says "You're being a douche."  But in a supportive kind of way.
4. She is constantly challenging me not to jump to conclusions.  Without fail, every time I thought my sister was behaving crappily to me, she has had some completely rational explanation for her behavior.  And usually I am the one behaving kind of crappily.
5. She makes me laugh.  A lot, all the time.  Over stuff that only we think is funny.  Which I think is what causes her husband to give us those looks all the time when we hang out.
6. And because I'm kind of vain:  She looks up to me.  Still.  (Sorry, sis, you know you do though.)  Each time I realize it, it amazes me.  Just when I am thinking that I am a hot mess and couldn't have destroyed my own life more, she says something that indicates that she thinks I am amazing.  It always helps.  It makes me feel like maybe I AM a little amazing.  Even when I look like a mess and have messed something up at work and am in a fight with Kathy all on the same day. 

So thanks, sister, for being awesome.  And could you please give permission for me to put your picture at the bottom of this post?  I'll put it after the jump, I promise.  Thanks.

Update:  Oooh, I got permission.  Aren't you lucky?  Here is a picture of my beautiful younger sister, and me.  We are getting ready for her wedding and laughing, as we always do when we're together.