Sunday, October 17, 2010

Happy Birthday Lisa!

Growing up, Lisa and I had a very tumultuous relationship. We pretty much fought all the time and when we weren’t fighting, we were ganging up to torture poor Stacey. Good. Times.

If someone would have told me at 12 that I’d one day write a book with my big sister, I would have probably started crying. I was very sensitive. Plus, how could I ever write a book with someone who hit me over the head with a cordless phone? Who hit me so hard the phone broke. Who insisted I help her bury the evidence along the railroad tracks near our home. Who demanded I not crack a smile whenever our mom paged said phone and asked, “How could a phone just disappear?”

But today is Lisa’s birthday. And while there’s no way I can top the OTHER Roeckers' birthday post to her last year, I’m going to try to honor our birthday girl with a little trip down memory lane…

July 12, 1991: I began writing my diary under the pseudonym, “The Kerring” after Lisa read an entry aloud as my crush Brian listened on. If only I had been cunning enough to use the alias all along. #hindsightsabitch

February 22, 1992: Dear Diary, Yesterday was my birthday and Lisa wouldn’t let me borrow her clogs. I borrowed Emily’s leather Keds instead. She’s so mean! Love, The Kerring

September 13, 1993: Poem written in diary after an entry about a particularly nasty fight with Lisa:

Look in my eyes, see who I am
I am not you, I am me

I think different
You always yell, you always scream

Just try to think how I feel
Your screams put a bruise on my heart

I try to talk, but listen you won’t
The words that mean so much
Were never said.
My heart just waited, no more will I wait.

March 5, 1995: I wrote a story called “The Sister” for English class creative writing. It involves a fire and a sister, who *spoiler alert* dies. Teacher’s comment: My God, Laura, is this real? Yep. There was something wrong with me. I still must have been pissed off about those clogs.

But somewhere along the way, “The Kerring” signed her name for the last time, the angry poems petered out and the writing took on a new, slightly less alarming focus. Instead of fighting over the phone or brown, suede clogs, we’re fighting over including the word DILF in our manuscript or laughing till we cry over old pictures with triangle shaped hair, hand-me-down clothes and jacked up teeth.

Happy Birthday, Lisa. I’m not exactly sure when it happened, but I’m so thankful to have best friends in both my sisters. I wouldn't have it any other way.

31 comments:

K. M. Walton said...

I have three younger sisters and they are, hands down, my best friends. My mother said to us repeatedly while growing up, "No one will ever be there for you like a sister...ever."

And I got a tear reading this blog post...that coming from the oldest sister.

LOVE the poem as well and happy birthday Lisa!!!

Unknown said...

Happy birthday Lisa! From the guy who pitched the live Christmas tree out the sliding glass door into the back yard. You know where you got the basic instincts to crack an 90s vintage phone over your sisters head. Peace!

Laura S. said...

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you!! Happy Birthday dear Lisaaa!!! Happy Birthday to youuu!!!!

The Regulator said...

I KNEW that phone hadn't just disappeared. I still have the base unit thinking it would show up some day! Happy Birthday to my oldest daughter (a regulator in training) - from an oldest daughter. Love you tons and hope this year is your best yet.

Heather said...

Ah the joys of sisters! Happy birthday Lisa! I hope you have an excellent day!

lisa and laura said...

Oh my gosh, this post made me laugh so hard I was crying. I must have lost interest in Laura's lame diary after she started writing as The Kerring because I had no idea she started using that particular pseudonym.

This blog post is the best birthday present ever. I'd like to think that I cracked that phone over your head with love. Or perhaps that wallop to the head was a cry for help coming from an large, awkward girl stuck living a life of shame in oversized mom shorts and tennis shoes so white that Seth Allen wouldn't even touch them. You will never know the depth of my pain.

Alas, this blog post appeals to the awkward 12 year old in me. Couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out! XOXOX

Sera Rivers said...

I need to share this with MY little sister who swears I tortured her all her life. I never did such a thing ... well, I did lock her in a hole in the wall and threatened the spiders would eat her. Best minutes of my life were spent listening to her bang on the wall....

We are best friends today as well. Don't remember when it happened either which is the beauty of sisterhood. Thanks for the post and Happy Birthday Lisa!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday!! Great sibling story!! None of my brothers ever hit me with a phone or visaversa :-), but we threw some stuff at each other occasionally.

ps. I love The Regulator's comment!!

Tara said...

Happy Birthday Lisa!!! I was off a day - in my mind your birthday was yesterday. I'll blame it on the pregnancy! Hope we can get together one day very soon! Wishing you a fabulous year ahead - love you!

p.s. The reading the diary entries from "The Kerring"!!

Jemi Fraser said...

Happy Birthday Lisa!! :)

My sister has been my best friend for a very long time! I think we're all the lucky ones :)

Jessica Love said...

Happy Birthday Lisa!

This post makes me wish I had a sister. *sniff*

Frankie Diane Mallis said...

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

erica m. chapman said...

Awww, that's awesome! What a great tribute Laura!

Hope you have a great Birthday, Lisa ;o)

Stephanie said...

LOL! Great post!!! Love reading things like this!! :) Happy Birthday Lisa!!

Love the Disney World pic!!

A Canadian Girl said...

This was such a sweet post! Happy Birthday Lisa!!

Jennifer said...

Happy birthday, Lisa!

Nicole Zoltack said...

Great post! Happy Birthday, Lisa! Love the pic.

Rebecca Gomez said...

Wonderful post. Makes me want to flip through my old diaries.

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Katie Anderson said...

aww. This is the sweetest post ever! I especially loved the poem :)))

Happy Birthday Sweet Lisa!

XOXO

Sara B. Larson said...

Happy Happy birthday Lisa!! I have 4 little sisters, so I can totally relate to this! And yes, we are all bestest friends now. Hope you had a great birthday weekend. :)

Samantha Vérant said...

OMG! Happy Birthday Lisa! We are one DAY apart!

Samantha Vérant said...

And Laura – great post! Truly sweet and truly funny!

B.E. Sanderson said...

Happy Birthday, Lisa! Great post, Laura. I'll bet Stacey has some interesting stories about you both - lord knows my two older sisters weren't the kindest kids - but after all those years, it's all good. I'm glad you're all friends now. =o)

Abby Minard said...

Happy Birthday! This reminds me of the screaming, scratching fork-throwing fights I had with my older sister. She was also the queen of emotional and mental abuse- she used to tell me that my friends told her they didn't like me. Now we're great friends and call each other all the time!

Little Ms J said...

Your poor bruised little heart! I love this. I wish my sister would've put her pent up hate into poetry as opposed to learning how to hit harder or pinch me until I bled.

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Lori W. said...

Happy Birthday, Lisa. I can feel The Kerring's love for you in spite of all the bitter memories she has. :)

My sister threw a curling iron at me. It wasn't hot, but it hurt. We're friends now.

Claire Dawn said...

Happy belated. Hope you enjoyed it with your new (and your old) bundle(s) of joy.

Matthew MacNish said...

Just coming back because you mentioned this today. How is it that I remember seeing this awesome photo but did not comment? Effing lurker.

Kimberley Griffiths Little said...

Oh, man! I missed your birthday, Lisa! I hope it was good!!!

Love you girls so much, but I've been in Armageddon Book Revision phase now. Due in two days and I'm only halfway through!

Panicking, panicking, panicking . . . xoxo

Kelly H-Y said...

Happy Birthday, Lisa (sorry it's belated!!!).

Fred Collinsworth said...

It’s a bit different because I am the only male here. I have three sisters and they are close to each other. Oftentimes, I ended up going outside and find some suitable friends to play with. But as siblings, we are close as well. We tell each other’s secrets and help whoever is in need. We also enjoy accompanying out mother to her sedation dentist. Phoenix’s clinics are one ride away from our home but we like doing it by walking. So we enjoy ice cold drinks or gelatos every time we walk. That’s why that day became our favorite.

Just like your sister, my second sister had jagged teeth too! Funny!

Your post is a very touching one. Great writing!

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