Fire Engine Red Sports Car

Some things you must know about Anjee and I.

Anjee and I are the closest in age of all my siblings.  She is exactly 16 months, 2 weeks and 5 days older than me.  When we were younger I reminded her of this constantly.  Of course, now that we are older, it is the opposite.  Legend has it in our family that when I was born, Anjee would not speak to my mother for two whole weeks.  I don't know how true that is as Anjee was only 16 months old and probably couldn't even speak all that well. 

Anjee has style, while I do not.  Note picture below where as children Melissa and I were perfectly content to wear matching homemade outfits for the first day of school while Anjee insisted on wearing her most fashionable outfit (which was store bought).

When I shop now, I still wish I had her at my side to give me advice.

Anjee has one of the most fun personalities of anyone I know.  In high school I wrote an essay about the relationship we had comparing her to a bright red sports car and me to a blue sedan.  She is dynamic and energetic.  She is funny and kind.  When she is around everyone notices her. 

 

 

I can remember two major fights that we had.  I still regret them.  One was when I got my license.  I will say nothing more here, but she remembers it too.  The other was over some boy named Nate.  You know the song from White Christmas called Sisters?  "Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister.  And Lord help the sister who comes between me and my man."  Yep, I guess, in a way, that's how it was even though nothing ever materialized with Nate between either of us.  

We felt we were unbeatable together.  At least, that's how I felt when I was with her.  I remember once Anjee and I challenged two of our friends who were boys (Steve and Chad) to a 3 mile race.  Correct me if I'm wrong here Anj, but I think they were asserting something like they could beat us in a 3 mile race even though they hadn't been running at all and we had been running all summer because they were boys and we were girls.  Anjee and I took them on and....lost.  That's kind of a dissapointing story girls, isn't it?  They did just barely beat us though and they were dying at the end while Anjee and I were not even winded.  We probably should have tried harder.

We worked the same jobs at the same time.  We were both file clerks for the Derby cycle company, we were both telemarketers for a week, hated it and quit simultaneously.  We both were coaches for Skyhawks sport camps and she got me a job with her at the Guardian insurance firm that she worked at before my mission.  Some of my fondest memories are of the summers that she and I spent working together during the day and playing together at night.  We had a lot of fun. 

 

We roomed together after my mission and she convinced me that Brad was a better dating choice than a boy named George, a boy who thought it was funny to play with his laser pen pointing it at people's heads during church.  She's always given sound advice.  Who would know where I'd be had I married George. 

When I was younger (and I'm talking jr. high here) I was jealous.  I was jealous that everyone noticed her, that everyone liked her.  Truthfully, most of my friends came over just to be with her.  I was jealous that she was the sports car and I was the sedan.  As I've grown older though, I realize that she makes a better me and I wouldn't have her be anything but what she is.

 Love ya Anj!  Happy bday!