One In A Million: Ashlea

Today my baby sister Ashlea graduated from high school and she'll be 18 in three days.
I remember her as a two-year-old, with a head of blonde fuzz and brown eyes so big and lovely.

A few things about my fifth little sister:

1. She is a songbird.  

Ever since I can remember, she's come home from school singing some show tune or opera at the top of her lungs.  Lucky for us that her voice is uncommonly beautiful.

In fact...

She was the sterling scholar in music this year.  Yay Ashlea!

2. She, like me, has this internal duality that manifests as a colorful butterfly on one hand, and a scatterbrained slob on the other.  I've always found this exacerbating quality endearing in Ashlea.  Somehow, it's responsible for that glow, that glorious light that burns inside her.

3. She's brilliant.

No, really.  One of the smartest women I've ever failed to debate with.  Ash values education, graduating with high honors and the ability to out-smart, out-talk, and out-opinionate just about anyone who is naive enough to argue with her. 

She's considering politics.

Watch out.

4. I love her.

I have six other sisters and two brothers that I also love, which creates endless problems when I try to spend time with them all and get to know them individually. Ashlea doesn't reach out as much as some of my siblings, and I'm afraid that I spend less time with her because of it. But it doesn't mean that I don't love her like a crazy person, and it doesn't mean that I don't ache to be close to this wonderful girl.

To me, Ashlea is 

sunshine and butterflies,

butter-yellow and turquoise sky,

melody and passion,

fire and ash,

a whirlwind of

excited, purposeful, frenzied energy

and soft pink smiles.

She is bashful in her beauty

and careful with her love.

Soaring on wings of delight, 

 her big brown eyes

quietly ask acceptance

while her songs, loud and sure,

allow my heart to beat in tune with hers.

Happy graduation and birthday little sis!

Love,

Katie