the last of my siblings’ birthdays is that of my younger sister. it’s the only one that falls on a blog posting day, so the baby sister E gets a full post to herself. how very last child of her. :) i’ll refrain from singing because that would blow out your ear drums, shatter the glass windows, and cause a volcano to erupt somewhere far from here. i don’t want to do that to you or to her as she turns 19.
when i turned 19, there were parades and parties and a prince that popped out of a fudge cake. that didn’t happen when you turned 19? what did?
in real life, when i turned 19, the year was 2000. a new millennium for my last year of being a teenager. there weren’t any hoverboards ala back to the future, but i was hovering on the edge of independence. i was starting my second semester in college, so i was over the scariness of leaving home and enjoying the perks of collegiate life. i knew people. i was invited to parties now, i didn’t just crash them. lacrosse season was about to hit its stride. i took my first creative writing class. the words were stilted and awkward, much like me. i started to understand exactly how awesome my parents were. the friendships i’d tentatively formed first semester solidified. i left campus mid week. i took snowboarding lessons on a mountain in virginia, which is truly only a big hill. simply stated, the swan song of my teenage years was sweet, tough, uplifting, silly, serious, awesome, and surprising. i was turning into an adult with each class, practice, decision, game, lesson, and party.
i wish for the same things for sister E, but in ways the delight and surprise and sparkle and are coordinated just for her. she may have surpassed me in height, but she’ll always be my kid sister.
happy last year of your teens, E. go get ’em.
Abigail Mumford 
what, not a single embarrassing story from when you were 19? come on! :)
happy birthday, sister E!
i’m sure there are, but i am choosing not to reveal them. today’s E’s day, not mine. :)
What a sweet wish for your sister on her birthday…I turned 19 in 1998…and i lived in Michigan, a hop, skip and a jump from Canadia (which it’s important to note that the legal drinking age there is 19). So for my birthday, we all hopped in a the car, took the tunnel over instead of the bridge (because it was my birthday and because of my slightly irrational fear of bridges, i’d rather drive under the water than over it…i know…i know…like i said, slightly irrational) and then went bar-hopping. We ended the night at Danny’s which happens to be a strip club (male stippers) where the dancers take EVERYTHING off…Let me tell you, you have not been to the strip club until you’ve gone with a horde of gay men. BEST. TIME. EVER. :)
now THAT’S how you celebrate an otherwise doldrum age.
yes, i’ve heard those rumors about canada, so i’m glad you were able to overcome your fears (irrational or not) for a proper celebration.
For me nineteen was the year I spent in your neck of the woods going to “A” school at Fort Devens. We would take the train to Boston every weekend to hang out a club called Celebrations where we would dance our asses off. For me this year was awesome and inspiring and made me realize the world is much bigger than I thought and also much smaller. Man I loved that year!
19 sounds like a fabulous year for you! city life! independence! traveling! dancing! i bet boston was happy to have you shaking your groove thing all year long!
Happy Birthday to your baby sister! Just having a big sister like you must be the best gift ever. :)
(Ha. That was a little saccharine, wasn’t it? I can’t help it if it’s true.)
the softer side of linda appears. you must still be high on wolf pack love. it’s ok. i forgive you this one time because, well, flattery gets you everywhere.
Happy Birthday to E!
This post made me happy. Lucky little sister!
thanks, pebbsie! i just spoke with her and, uh, i think i woke her up. seems like some things don’t change. at 19, if you can sleep til noon, you do. whoops. well, i’m just doing my big sister duties by annoying the little sister. that’s always a role i’m happy to fulfill.
heh.
Never got a chance to say thank you Abby :) you did not wake me up I promise :) but my alarm had just gone off so I was slightly confused. Thank you for being an awesome older sister! Can’t wait to see you again!!!
you’re very welcome. i’m glad you got to spend the weekend at home with some of your buddies. i hope your year is grand!