to my megalumpf ...

dear meggie -

i am beyond words grateful that we have such a great friendship and relationship - in large part because i worried we might not. you see, by the time you born, i wasn't living with dad and your mom anymore. being a teenager sucks, right? well, a teenager, a 2 year old, and a pregnant lady can rarely occupy the same space without nuclear war repercussions! and since my mom didn't have her own place at that time, i ended up moving in with uncle bruce and auntie lyla. we didn't live in the same house until you were 7 years old - and then only for a couple of years.

but i am getting ahead of myself. i will never forget the day when dad, anne and i were in the kitchen and your mom came in and dad looked at her with a question in his eyes. i was starting to get the idea that something was up, when she said to me, "since you complained you didn't get to know about anne first, allow me to tell you before anyone else, that you and anne are going to have another sibling!" it was AMAZING! dad, your mom and i all hugged each other in the kitchen - laughing, crying, and jumping (at least on my part) with excitement! anne was puzzled by the commotion and we just looked at her and thought, "she has NO IDEA how much her world is going to change!"

you arrives on may 3, 1988 and dad made a special trip to my school to tell me about you (you see, this was in the dark ages, before cell phones). i was so thrilled to have another sister! the first one was pretty cool, and i had every expectation you would be as well. but what i didn't expect was how DIFFERENT you would be! not just your looks (which, let's face it, were absolutely adorable - oh, those cheeks!!!), but your personality, character, mannerisms - all of it - so unique and precious.

most of my early childhood memories of you involve babysitting of some sort. this may not be the story you most want told about you, but it was such a revelation to me that i have to share it. one night i was watching you and anne and you weren't feeling well. this was back when you each had those tall beds with play spaces underneath. i had made a blanket in home ec before anne was born, but she fell in love with the blankie that came with her crib set, so mine ended up being used by you - i loved that! this particular night, after you were asleep for about 2 hours, i heard you crying and when i went in you sat up, said, "i don't feel good" (or would have if you had made it through the whole sentence) and threw up. EVERYWHERE. from your bed four feet off the floor. i picked you up, ran to the bathroom and sat there holding you while you continued to be sick for about 5 minutes. then you went right back to sleep. out cold. i cleaned you up, changed your pj's, the sheets, tucked you back into bed, and quickly threw the blankie in the washer & dryer so it would be there when you woke up. then i went and threw up. (smiles) ...i KNEW i loved you before that, but after that night i could say with full honesty that i would do anything for you - and i still would.

your childhood exploits put anne and i to shame - absconding with grandma's lipstick, markers, chocolate, or any other substance you could cover your body in and make a mess out of. but your white-blond curls, lopsided grin, and big blue eyes got you out of any and all situation. no one ever looked cuter in footie pyjamas, grandma's white shoes, or nothing but a diaper!

being apart was hard - the first time i went away was just days after your 6th birthday party, and i missed you so much the whole 16 months i was gone! when i came back, i moved in with you for the first time and really got to know your personality, your strengths and see who you were! and i loved you even more.

your creative mind blew me away - from your alter-ego jake (loved the hat, tie, and mustache you wore to kindergarten for at least a week) to the elaborate scenes you and anne would act out in the living room, i loved your characterizations - and now i (almost literally) pee my pants when i get to hang out with "it's a tribute!" peter!

yer real smart-like, ya know? yup, you gots lots a smartness. because of this you were in the academic challenge class in elementary school and ended up spending 4 years at sir alexander mackenzie - the school you and i share! i loved visiting you there - having lunch with you in your a/c class and checking out your school work. my favourites were the mobile book report you made in the shape of a dog dish, and an interpretation you did of third eye blind's "jumper".

let's take a few minutes to talk about soccer. more specifically, your amazingness in this sport! i have never been able to watch you play without great cringing and an elevated heart rate. i don't know if this would be different if you were a forward or defense player, but the fact that you were in goal - and therefore the recipient of some seriously hard hits - was always a little painful to contemplate. how many concussions have you acquired? do you even REMEMBER!? while no one thing can define a person, i believe the way you excelled at this sport was a pretty accurate reflection of your personality - you are a determined, hard working, fearless, trash-talking dynamo of a player. and and you are that kind of a person too - with a healthy dose of compassion and respect for others thrown in. you have, by far, the best work ethic of us three sisters, and take after dad that way.

you were (and are) so quiet and self contained (read: nothing like me or anne!) that i worried we would never connect as much as anne and i had. all that changed at grandma kitty's funeral. when you and anne came down to the room i was using and we spent hours talking about everything, you finally opened up enough to let me know you WANTED to talk to me more - and we worked hard to catch up. i think your visits to LA and the great road trip of 2007 solidified that more than anything else. and, while it might have been nice to have that sooner, i love everything about how our relationship has evolved.

you are my megalumpf, my baby sister, and - most treasured of all - my wise friend. your listening ear and timely advice have helped me more than you will ever know. you are the family peace-keeper (sometimes to the detriment of your health), and we could never be a complete family without your ability to connect us all.

and you really did have the most squeeze-able cheeks EVER!!

all my love,
catharooni