My better half

Did you ever have someone a part of your life whom you loved so much, yet could not stand within a matter of minutes? A person who made your life miserable for many years but one day turned around to become your biggest support, who since then has been there whenever the going gets tough, who has believed in whatever you are doing just because you are doing it, and who in her sweet innocent ways has been so faithful, loyal and loving that you never ever truly felt alone. I have a person like that. A person I have shared everything with, literally. All 33 years of eventful and uneventful life! The clothes, the makeup, the bedroom, the 6 schools, the relatives, the family, the memories, the issues, the stories, the friends, the tears, the laughter, the fights, the power struggle, the long nights, the fears, the triumphs, the 20 houses, just about everything. In other words, she can be me in proxy. The one constant I am so grateful for, the one who I have been so proud of. My dearest sister who has given me years of love, support, tears, bruises, torture, catfights, heartache, friendship, clothes, money, makeup, dating cover ups, laughter, happiness, loyalty, shelter, a wonderful brother and three beautiful boys to love and cherish as my own, precisely in that order.
Seeing my sweet Aapi you can learn what compassion is, what defines strength of character and what is the true meaning of loyalty, unconditional love and support. The one person you will be lucky to have in your corner.
Ours was not always a happy union, far from it. The first 16 or so years of my life, we had a complex relationship. We were sisters so we loved one another, and she sometimes liked to show me off (“Sing a song for my friends”) but I think she found me annoying, and liked to boss me around, and on occasions beat me up. But she was loyal; even then, she was loyal. I was a weird little kid and people liked bullying me and she always defended me. Whatever signifies those years, whether it is our catfights or her undying loyalty and pride in me, they were not the happiest years of my life. My sister was moody and unpredictable and I found it very trying to be around her :). She didn’t share anything with me and I had to sneak around to borrow her clothes and makeup.
But then something happened. My sister turned 19 and became an entirely different person. She was on her way to becoming a doctor, she had a new best friend and she became the coolest older sister. Those were the best days of my life. My sister and I became the best of friends. The subsequent years saw never ending heart to hearts, sneaking out late night to get those KFC zinger burgers, planning the rendezvous with the boyfriend (mine), the study session breaks, the gossip sessions, the picnics, the ice lollies, the long walks, the fights, the making ups, the wedding, the heart ache, the separation, the gifts, the visits, the heart break, the baby, the move, the togetherness, more babies, more tears, more laughter, more life.
She is an amazing woman. She has always stood by what she believes in and has always lived the life with a devil may care attitude. It has always been about her family and now her kids. She is strong willed, determined and focused. She will say what it is and how it is and the world just has to deal with it. She has gone through and is going through some tough times and she may seem less dogged than she used to be (even to herself), but I know that she has the spirit of a fighter and a will of steel and she will bounce back because that’s what she does best. Bounce back!!
Aapi I wish you knew how strong you are and how very proud I am of you. What you have done and what you do every day is no small feat and it makes you extraordinary. You are the same little girl who with her will changed the course of her life and now, as an adult, doing it for the people around you. You have made me want to be a better person and you have helped me be a better person and now you do it for others around you. I have always seen you do more than what is required, as a daughter, as a sister, as a student, as a doctor, as a wife and now as a mother. You are simply awesome, and I take it as an immense blessing to have a sister like you. May God bless you in every possible way.