My dearest sister, Ranie,

Words cannot truly express how happy it makes me to see you turn 20 this year. Unfortunately, due to the fact that this letter that you will read is also an article, I will try my best to pull out all of the stops and write this week's article in your honor.

Many years ago, you became a new addition to this family. It was not the most conventional method of becoming a Clapsaddle, but you are no less a member of this family than any one of our relatives. I still remember when Mom left on her trip to Guatemala in order to finish the adoption paperwork and fly you back to Texas, where we were living at the time. The day you walked off of the airplane holding her hand, nervously looking around the airport, will forever be imprinted in my mind as the moment I realized I would always have a little sister. As I walked up to you, I squatted down and said, "Hi I'm Nathan. I'm your new big brother." Your reaction was priceless. You looked up at me with wide eyes and started crying and screaming as loud as you could. It scared me half to death, but I made a promise to myself on that day that I would always do my best to be the best big brother you could ever hope for.

We haven't always gotten along. Growing up, we both fought for Mom and Dad's attention. People usually think you can either be a momma's boy or a daddy's girl, but somehow you managed to be both of those things in one tiny package. Whenever you didn't get your way, you always managed to start crying, most likely on command and get me in trouble with our parents. It was sometimes hard for you to grasp English when you were very young, and I still remember helping you try to learn how to pronounce certain words. No matter how much we disagreed on things, at the end of the day, we were able to put our differences aside and stand by each other.

You have always been a source of strength and support that I have never asked you for. You are always there to lend an ear when I need to get something off of my chest, and you never complain when I pause a movie in order to ramble on about some random trivia. Whenever we moved to a new state, you were always a friend I could hang out with before we met new people. To this day I always cherish the moments we spend together, even if it is midnight and all we do is talk about the crazy day you had at work. You have been there to support me in my darkest times, and I want you to know that I will be there to support you through yours.

I am so proud of you and your accomplishments. You were a member of the marching band all four years of high school. You accomplished four years of theater tech. You have become an editor at Odyssey. You are forging your own successful path through college. I'd continue, but I don't want you to get a big head. You'd look like a bobble-head.

So now, sweet, sweet sister, I want to wish you a happy birthday. We have shared so many memories, and I hope that there are much more to come. I hope that you will always dream big and succeed in any endeavor that you undertake. I love you. Hopefully, this year will be filled with happiness and accomplishment. Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.

Love,

Nathan