The "little" sister

Wishing my little (not so little!) sister an very happy seventeenth birthday! No stranger feeling than realizing that the baby of the family, well, isn't a little girl anymore, but growing into a beautiful lady... We love you, your baking, your naughtiness, your brilliant impersonations, your performance on stage, how you love to argue with us, your sense of lightheartedness, just carefree, your sense of humour, your kindness and utter sweetness (at times!) Please don't grow up too quickly...

Sisters

Ah... Sisters. Tonight the family went out for dinner for an early birthday celebration. All I will say is that the "sharing" (more like stealing with spoons appearing out of nowhere and disappearing again before I could even begin to protest) of desserts had me crying with laughter. Oh my goodness, my sisters, no one like them! 

I never say it enough, but I really love you, admire you more that words could express, think that you are both so beautiful, inside and out... you make me so angry at times (but we're sisters - it's normal!) but you make me so happy too, and I feel such pleasure and pride being able to stand next to you as the middle sister, having the best on either side...

Home

"The fact that our heart yearns for something Earth can't supply is proof that Heaven, must be our home."

{CS Lewis} 

This was the view from my train window this morning, before the rain began to pour from the thick grey clouds that gathered over the blue-green ocean of the bay. It made me think of Heaven and going home one day...

It has been an exhausting week, with too little sleep and too much stress, feeling quite a bit worried about the tests and assignments packed into the next two weeks before lectures end and our exam session begins (time seems to be passing too swiftly, reluctantly dragging me along with it). But every night, before I wearily trod up the stairs, heading for my lovely warm blankets and soft feather pillows, I realise that I cannot do it on my own... for in my weakness, Christ's strength is made perfect. 

Well it has been wonderful having my beautiful, big sister home, and we all cannot wait until my mom finally returns from Namibia - my sister keeps deciding how best to surprise her and changes her mind constantly when a new, even more hilarious idea comes along. I will let you know how it all goes :) Needless to say, when she seemed to just magically appear before my completely unexpecting dad on Monday evening, he just sort of stood in shock. When the disbelief melted away, he was thrilled! (We all were!!) 

And now, after nights of pizza, Indian curry and wraps from the amazing Bhandaris, we are off, as a family, to Tribeca for burgers - yay!  

Keep warm. 

Coming home

Now that she's back in the atmosphere 

With drops of Jupiter in her hair...

She acts like summer and walks like rain 

Reminds me that there's time a to change...

Tell me, did you sail across the sun...

Tell me, did you fall from a shooting star...

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet...

Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day 

And head back to the milky way 

And tell me, did Venus blow your mind 

Was it everything you wanted to find 

And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there... 

It is past midnight and so I can say that today my beautiful, both inside and out, big sister is  returning after a year and a half in South Korea!! We are so excited, and what makes it even more special is that it is a surprise - my parent's don't know!! I cannot wait to have her back with us - we have missed her so very, very much. Thinking of her constantly and praying that the hours will pass swiftly until she is safely home.