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A big sister becomes proud matron of honor
Staff Writer I remember it clearly.
It was the summer of 1984. I was in the back seat of my parents' car with my best friend, Patty, when I heard the news.
"Your mom is going to have a baby," my dad said calmly.
"What?" I screamed, not so calmly.
I was 11 years old and I thought my world had just ended. I did not want to be a big sister. I thought I was destined to be an only child. This wasn't supposed to happen.
But it did. And there was nothing I could do about it.
Of course, my parents felt terrible. They thought they were giving me this great gift - a sibling to "grow old with" they said.
Someone to grow old with? I was practically already grown by then!
Well, OK, so maybe that was a stretch.
Fortunately, as the days and weeks went by, I started to warm to the idea of having a sibling, especially since my parents told me I would be moving to the bigger bedroom once the baby was born.
Hey, this was turning out to be a pretty good deal for me after all.
I know that I was being selfish, and for that, I'm terribly ashamed but I was young and just didn't know any better.
It seemed like forever, but March 28, 1985, finally arrived, and so did my baby sister, Kelly.
I took one look at her squished up "toad" face and fell in love.
She was my sister. Mine. No one else got her. Just me. I was so proud.
And then a different reality set in.
How could I have been so self-centered? So selfish? To think I didn't want this beautiful child to become a part of our family breaks my heart now to even admit it.
I was witness to all of her firsts - her first tooth, her first word, her first steps and her first day of kindergarten, which in a strange turn of events, also was the first day of my senior year.
And now, 23 years and one day later, I was blessed to witness another milestone in my sister's life.
Our dad walked her down the aisle Saturday and she married the man of her dreams.
I was there, proudly standing next to her as her matron of honor.
And I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
DeLYNN HOWARD may be reached at delynn.howard@brainerddispatch or 855-5850.
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