My sister Katie is eleven years younger than me and lives in New York with her husband and nine month old baby boy, Sawyer.  The night before her wedding day I was writing notes for my maid of honor speech and it dawned on me that she was never coming home. I don't know why it took until that night to realize it but for whatever reason that's when it happened. When she was younger Katie attended college in Santa Barbara, studied abroad in Australia, lived in Reno with our folks a while then moved to Boston where she met Ethan. 

Our relationship has evolved from big sister/little sister to just sisters and a single day does not go by that I don't realize how lucky I am to have her. 

Sister

Over a decade apart we are

And I was more like a mom to you for years

Holding and comforting you

And wiping off your tears

Now we are older

And a new relationship is there

A best friend, my sister

So very deeply I care

You are married now

And live too far away

I realized you would stay there

On your beautiful wedding day

How cruel that this happened

Just when it got so good

I think I took us for granted

I never really understood

What it meant to have an equal

From the same family tree

Someone who knows what it means

To be you and to be me