Sister, Sister

Schwester. Hermana. Sorella. Soeur. Zus. Sister.

My sisters are the best thing that I have in my life. Thanks, parents.

Maura Lanell, or more affectionately and since the age of zero years old, Clydesdale.

The youngest of the three, this girl is phenomenal. ONE of the coolest things about Clyde is that she knows anything and everything about classic rock: she can name the song, year it came out, the lead guitarist, and how he died in his own vomit or plane crash or whatever.

She is incredibly easy going, up to a point of disgust oft times, and has a hard time passing by a couch (or any warm patch of softness anywhere) without falling asleep on it. Some of the best times I've had with Clyde were just driving around, listening to tunes, flipping a coin to turn left or right in the middle of nowhere, and just enjoying each other's company.

You can tell her anything and she does not judge, she is always accepting and charming beyond belief. While Maura is cool as shit, she is also uncommonly anal, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense... she doesn't care if you accidentally catch her hair on fire, but she'll plum flip out if you don't make her bed correctly; with this pillow here and this tag facing this way. Maura, like the rest of the women in our family, is at her peak in the summer. She functions best in the sun and she prefers her shorts short enough for her pockets to hang out the bottom. (And then Dad throws them away. And sometimes said shorts end up being mine and I'm like, "Hey Dad, why did you throw away my shorts? I'm 26, I do what I want." And he's like, "Come here, it's time for your whippin'." And then I run away and drive back to Austin.)

Maura despises the cold so much that it makes her vomit. She gets into her (skateboard) car and blasts the heat at such a high capacity that upon the car heating up, she finds she has created a hotbox which overcomes her with nausea and she gags and ultimately, vomits.

She is clever, smart, sensitive, and giving. There are countless times I recall Maura being a comfort to me when others were not able. A beautiful person inside and out. My best friend.

Best friend, that is, right behind this girl, who has known me every year of my life and who used to throw toys in my bassinet: Alyssa Dawn. Deta Dawn, Lyssie, Lyssa Belle, Ish, Assyla, Asylum, etc, etc.

Alyssa is one of the most dynamic persons you will ever meet. She is true to herself in any circumstance. She is proud, determined, and to some, a tad frightening. When I was in 1st Grade and Alyssa in 3rd, an older girl bullied me on the playground incessantly. Alyssa and I didn't have recess together but we passed each other on the way in/out. I had dealt with it as long as I could but I finally told Alyssa what was going on. She made me point the girl out to her, who was a year older than Alyss, and while I went back into school for the day and have no idea the exchange that was made between the two girls, the bully bitch never messed with me again. I almost feel sorry for her because God only knows what Alyssa said to scare the shit out of her. Empty threats, I can guarantee they were not.

Alyssa is honest beyond belief and sticks up for what she knows is right. She is incredibly knowledgeable about a little bit of everything; there are few subjects in which she cannot participate intelligently. She hates wire hangers, substitute cursing, ("If you're going to curse, you might as well say the whole damn word!") and when audiences sing the lyrics instead of the band in a live concert.

Her sense of fashion is incomparable to most. She is daring, bold, and striking. Eat your heart out dudes, she's taken.

Alyssa is like a classic country song that never goes out of style. She was country when country wasn't cool.

Lately, she's been dragging around this thing...

...Miss Bella Pearl. The newest woman in the family.

And of course, Maude: Joan Elizabeth.

This woman can rage on the piano, sing like a freaking dove, and do a mean Michael Jackson. (Thanks for learnin' us some moves, mom.) It is few and far between when all five of us get to be together and I look forward to it every time.

I could not live without my sisters and I cannot wait to see the woman that Bella Pearl will become. She seems to be coming along nicely so far, although her German could use some work...