Tuesday, February 3, 2009

My Big Sis

MP really is an amazing sister. I am not saying that just because I promised to. I mean it.
When someone has a simcha, it is always MP who remembers to send over a candy platter for the kiddush. (While SD might be the one to bake the cookies and arrange them nicely on a plate, she definitely needs MP to remind her in the first place.)
When someone in the neighborhood has a baby, or someone is sitting shivah (lehavdil), it is most certainly MP who thinks to send over supper.
If it is someones birthday, they should not expect SD to remember. She needs friends to remind her of her own birthday. (That might be because she wants to forget, but....) MP, on the other hand, not only remembers that it is that person's birthday, but she already bought them a great birthday card, and she remembers to send it with enough time in advance that it gets there for their birthday. (SD on the other hand, notices that her friend's chat status is "happy birthday to me" and she searches online for a funny e-card and gets it there for their birthday too!)
It is a similar story with return cards. MP fills them out the day they come, and even has cute little mazal tov stickers to make them more exciting. SD usually sends the friend a text saying "do you really think I would miss your wedding?" or something like that, and saves the stamp for something else. (Well, no, she doesn't really, but she is tempted to every time.)
Another example: MP, being a year older than SD, got her license a year earlier than SD did. And during that year, she was really sweet about taking SD wherever she needed to go, even if it was only until the initial novelty of being a licensed driver wore off.
MP is a great bargainer. (Is that a word?) If you are looking to buy a "coach" pocketbook on canal street, and don't want to pay very much, take MP along. She can sometimes convince the guy to pay you to take his merchandise home. Ok, I am exaggeration, but only slightly. I mean, she is really good at these things.
MP also has an amazing sense of humor. I mean, most of my family does, but are more successful than others. It all started one day when my mother, for some inexplicable reason, decided to take her young children to an art museum. MP looked around and said (really loudly): "Mommy, why is everyone looking at the WALLS?" The entire family laughed about it later, but MP still maintains that she said it on purpose, and she totally meant it as a joke. We don't believe her, but it makes a good story about the origins of her sense of humor. As a mature ;) adult, her humor has developed to a more advanced point, but still, we love her humor. Seriously (or not-so-seriously) we like the way she adds spice to things by inserting her humorous view of things.

(Wow, next time I need a favor, I should let MP read this... ;)

There are many more great things I could say about MP, (I mean it, why do you doubt me?) but I have one last great story about her.

Normally, I am the (sometimes maddeningly) calm one, and MP is the (overly) emotional one. But recently, something happened that made me really impressed with her. Without getting into details, she had a particular shidduchim story that was really, really rough. When it happened, I remember thinking that I would fall apart under the circumstances. Basically, it boiled down to a massive mistake on the part of a family member. Had they done that to me, I would have really had a hard time forgiving them. Yet, MP remained calm. She said that she will not get angry, and the zechus of that should help her find her shidduch faster.
All I can say is wow.

So while MP and I might have nothing in common, and we meet at simchos and have nothing to say to each other, I have to say that MP has a lot of good to offer the world, and I love her and am proud to call her my sister.

(And for my reader who thinks she is similar to MP, I hope this made you happy. Cuz the last post surely didn't. :-p)

42 comments:

BigChamor21 said...

This almost sounds like an extremely forced eulogy. Grammatical errors aside, this post gets a B for content, but an A for the obvious effort.

Something Different said...

BC- you can't point out that there are grammatical errors without telling me what they are. I won't deny though, my extreme state of exaustion when I wrote this...can't you tell?

B for content?? C'mon! I thought you would like the art museum story...

BigChamor21 said...

Nope, didn't find that anecdote amusing at all. Sorry.

little sheep said...

nice going SD :)

Anonymous said...

Yay!!

EsPes said...

"and we meet at simchos and have nothing to say to each other"
what do u mean?

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

That's a serious shidduch proposal for MP!

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

Actually i have one question - why did you say "we meet at simchos" - you don't live together?

And what's this supposed to mean "have nothing to say to each other" ???

Between some lines I thought that you fall aboard (these two words by google translator) with MP... Hope I'm wrong

Something Different said...

BC- Anecdote that never produced laughter?
And what about my grammatical errors?

LS- Thanks. Does that mean you don't think it sounds like a forced eulogy?

Katie- Yeah, it sure is a relief...

EP and BTS- we live together, but are not very close. Recently we bumped into eachother at a simcha. Both of us had no idea that the other one would be there. And it was sad, but we had nothing to tell eachother. So I complimented MP on her gorgeous new suit, she complimented me on my shoes (which were a year old and worn about a thousand times before...) and then we stood there for a minute feeling dumb. Then one of us made an excuse and we were on our merry way.

BTS- what kind of shidduch proposal? And I am not sure I understand what you mean by fall aboard. We don't fight if that is what you mean, but we just....aren't close.

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

SD - I dunno how to say that right in english, but you answered my question.

It looks like not a long time you were close. But now not. Which is very unfortunate.

BigChamor21 said...

You thought it was an anecdote, I didn't find it funny, that's all. I am not getting into the grammar on this blog.

EsPes said...

wow thats really weird! i cant even imagine having that kind of relationship with my sisters!

Something Different said...

BTS- we were never close. We just have nothing in common.

BC- I don't think that is fair. You can't mention them without telling me what they are. And I shouldn't be shocked about that because I know you have a warped sense of humor.

EP- no, it's not bad. We don't fight or anything. And me and MG are really close...

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

For me it sounds weird... Two people, two sisters live in one house and have nothing in common at all? There's something wrong here...

BigChamor21 said...

SD, you want me to post up a whole list over here?
Dude, I know of someone who had "nothing to do" with her sister just a year younger than her. They never spoke to each other when they were single, and they never speak to each other now that both of them are married.It's really a blessing to have someone in your family that you can really relate to.

Something Different said...

BTS- you are making this into a much bigger deal than it is. We are as different as night and day and we each live out own merry lives and don't get in eachother's ways. Unless we both need the car on the same day....

BC- um, is it that bad? maybe you had better email it to me.

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

BC21 - [nice nick name...] - in my understanding there's something not normal.

SD - I can't get this behavior, may be due to a difference in mentality. But it seems that some native Americans can't get it either, at least EsPes.

EsPes said...

maybe its just cuz my sisters and i (me and my sisters?) are all so close... but i know tons of ppl who arent close with their sisters- but they still have what to do with them!

Something Different said...

BTS and EP- me are fine. Last might we were shmoozing....comparing things at our respective jobs...it's not like a cold war. It's just that we don't have the slightest thing in common. That's it.

Something Different said...

Oh, and EP- ya gotta be careful bout your grammar when BC21 is reading this.... ;-)

halfshared said...

Uh, how much did she pay you to write this :-P?

Seriously though, too bad you can't show this to her. The world would be such a nice place if people didn't have such a need to hold back so much. I understand you though because it's become nearly socially weird to actually go and make another person feel good.

Oh well, I'm still down your back, huh? I'm just paralleling my own relationship with my sister and I'm the big sis in my situation :-).

Something Different said...

HS- I actually bought her a no-good-reason card yesterday cuz it made me think of her. I haven't decided yet what to put in here.
And it should be noted that HS was the one who told me to be nice to my big sis, and thus was the inspiration for this post.

halfshared said...

You bought her a card?

Yay!! (Clapping hands and grinning from ear to ear).

I'm so, so proud of you. Make sure you give it to her!

Something Different said...

HS- yes. And don't worry, of course I'll give it to her. I wouldn't want my 69 cents to go to waste. :-p

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

Hopefully there will be more intention than just 69 cents wasted...

Inspired said...

What an amazing sister!

Something Different said...

BTS- ok, I guess you guys made an impression on me.... ;)

Something Different said...

Inspired- for real? wow I am a persuasive writer.... hear that BC21?

BigChamor21 said...

This entry did not persuade me in the least that your sister is a great person. So I disagree with Inspired.

Something Different said...

BC21- Maybe you know too much.

BigChamor21 said...

How in the world would I (of all people) know too much about your family??

Something Different said...

BC21- I dunno. But why else did this post not convince you?

BigChamor21 said...

Please refer to my original post.

Something Different said...

BC21- I can't figure out why?

BigChamor21 said...

It sounds FORCED. If the only thing you can think to write about her is that she remembers to send people candy platters...come on. It's all pretty superficial. Also, you make it sound like she's dead.

Something Different said...

BC21- No, you totally don't get it. She is thoughtful.
And what sounds dead about her?

BigChamor21 said...

I'm thoughtful too. In fact, I have all the qualities you listed that your MP embodies (except for the driving thing--but you know I totally would if I drove. However, I am in no way an MP.
She sounds dead because of the way you wrote it, that's all.

Dude with hat (aka BTS) said...

Well this all probably because words on paper (screen) could hardly tell you attitude they were said with. Sometimes some wrong word combinations may bring you to a thought of entirely different idea behind the whole post.

That's the reason why I hate talking to people over email/IM/text and prefer eye to eye conversations or if not possible at least phone. Sound could tell you much and mimics would finish the picture.

Something Different said...

BC21- you don't have to convince me of your not being an MP, honestly. These traits are not the reasons she is MP. She just is.

BTS- You are right, but I am the queen of non-verbal communication.

BigChamor21 said...

What are you talking about? I would love to be an MPWAT.

Something Different said...

Btw, in case anyone is reading this, I just thought I'd come out and admit the truth to the world wide web. I didn't give the card to MP yet. And at this point I am going to wait till her birthday.

[hangs head in shame]

little sheep said...

naughty, naughty...i'm disappointed in you!