Marilyn Doris Lewis Graves

She has known me all of my life and has been my friend longer than anyone else. We've shared a room, a brother, parents, and a life. She is my sister, and today is her birthday.

A family story is that when I was born, she stayed right by my crib. It was early training for all the times she has been beside me for the tough times, for the fun times, and for the life-changing times. We've lived in different cities, different states, and different countries, but distance has never severed the bond that we share.

We married a year apart, and we each had a son first (who have brought us our daughters-in-law) and then we each had two daughters. We share a love of Disney, and consider it often-needed therapy. We tend to get lost when traveling together (it's hard to watch for the right exit when you're talking), manage to dress alike when on vacation (unintentionally - really), and have more adventures than we need to tell. We have different tastes and lives, but it's those differences that bind us even closer.

The thing about sisters is that it's a relationship that changes over time, but never goes away. It's the constant in life that grounds us, inspires us, and gives us life. It's your past, present, and future all rolled up together. It's the love that makes us who we are because sisters are ingrained as part of each other. And if you're lucky, your sister is the one thing in your life that you'll never have to do without.

Sisters - one of the best gifts God can give a girl. I should know - I have a Marilyn to prove it!