She's a Dogwood

I loved kindergarten.

Mostly I loved my teacher who was pregnant and also had an incubator by which we got to hatch chicks. Score.

Still, for some reason, life seemed so much harder around the corner from preschool. And some days-- just a few times-- I needed my sister. On a handful of occasions (so rare I don't really remember an isolated incident) I trekked on up to the 3rd grade and got to interrupt class to say hello.

She knew me. A hug from the big sister was enough to renew my resolve to be the best kindergartner I could be. Mostly because whatever she did, she was doing all she could to be her best. I used her toothpaste for magic potions, stole perfume from her room and talked her ear off at least once a day. But when I saw her at school-- specifically when I sought her out-- she never disowned me.

At Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Interdistrict Magnet School she was my irreplaceable big sister. It seems she's always known on some level or another how much power she has to affect my mood, mind and level of confidence. She very rarely took advantage of that ability (even when I disrespected her property) and rose to occasion when I needed her most. Maybe it's not surprising, then, that I don't remember the specific issues or emotions that drove me to seek her embrace. I only know that she gave it to me.

In all of the pestering, I fear I forgot to tell her just how much that meant. She must've caught on anyway.

It's officially April in Fred Vegas. As we drove the town going to and fro, Emily made mention of the early-blooming Dogwoods. They stand in beautiful contrast to the rest of the trees.

We did a lot in five days. We did dinner with the Modly girls, 5 Alive and lots of Freedom-ridery things. I got to introduce her in class and we introduced "All That" to Claire. We got snacks with Deirdre and milkshakes with Meredith and did a movie with Katie Jones and conversed at La Petite with Dina. We ate too much chocolate with Jill and ate Chipotle on campus walk as college passed by (and I passed out buttons).

We pondered things. We had fun. We hugged.

And over and over again I looked to her and said, "Hey, you're here!" Because, friends, I don't know what I did to get to be the girl with a sister who uses her power to affect things so effectively-- who would make a trip to encourage me and take deeper interest in my life. And in taking interest in my life, wanting to encourage the people around this place who make me who I am.

A visit from her is enough to renew my resolve to be the best college student I can be...just like the kindergarten days. She is my sister-- one who stands in beautiful contrast amongst the rest.

And I love her.

(she saved me from this)

(I'm a lot more corners from preschool these days) (you might not be able to tell) (but she still came all the way to see me) (i'm failing at my goal to consolidate parenthetical content)

To quote Katie Jones, "here's a song!"