"I'm a lady that's why!"
"You're not a lady, you're nothing but a sister!" -Hulio and Marie, Aristocats
My dear Hulio, you underestimate the power of a sister! The love of a sister is a strange and powerful thing. The love for my sister caused me to drive 4 and a half hours Thursday afternoon to return for the AGWSR Homecoming Coronation. My sister was a candidate!!!
Now, back history on my sister. I have not talked about her enough on my blogs, and she deserves a whole lot. My sister was made fun of a lot when she reached middle school. Most kids were. I was picked on all the time, but it rarely bothered me. Maybe because I was obsessed with books, or maybe it was just that I was so introverted it just didn't. But Val is different. She loves people, and she will always try to find the best way to please everyone, despite herself. In sports she was almost immediately written off because of my lack of athletic skills, and when she showed the coaches that she had something special, they were very shocked. She also was written off because she didn't have 'the name.' You can say that stuff doesn't exist all you want, but it really does. I don't know how many times she would come home crying from something a former friend had done to her. Val works her butt off to be the very best student, basketball player, and tennis player she can be. She goes all out for her friends, and when they cry, she cries. Val's kinda like Cinderella in a way. Despite it all she remained kind and gentle, and dreaming that her wish might come true. I don't know what that wish is or was, but I think she had a fairytale this weekend.
I got there in time to watch her friends do her hair, and I was deemed worthy enough to paint her nails. She looked beautiful, and I tried to make sure I looked good too. I always look for opportunities to take pictures with my sister, and you just can't like a photo when your sister looks like a movie star and you look like you haven't slept in 10 days. The ceremony was cute and fun. They played a bunch of different games and they all had fun with it. The gals running the ceremony gave me no time to push record! They just straight up said, with no excitement whatsoever, "The Homecoming Queen is Val Lindaman." I don't even think we had the time to react! People swarmed her after the crowning, and we had to wait quite a bit to even talk to her. We were all proud of her, but I don't think it hit us how amazing her crowning was until we came home to Val's Facebook messages. So many parents of kids she had babysat and members of our old church posted on her wall how happy they were for her, that a true, genuine soul won that honor. Students had done the same. Several were thankful that a Christian gal, that had always stayed true to herself had won. They thanked her for never changing what she believed in and for being just Val. I'm crying right now just thinking about it. I've only been back to school 2 days and I already miss her so much!
The next day was the parade and I ran all over the place for that girl. I was at the beginning of the parade, and when I went for the photo, it turned out way crappy, so I booked it to my van, weaved around Ackley til I found parking by the town library, and ran next to where my grandparents sit every year. I ran there and actually got a good picture. Then I ran to the football field for the pep rally, and I took shots of my dad videotaping and my mom taking pictures like the proud parents they are. It's always been one of my strong points to be able to see past the immediate focal point and see everyone in the picture. This day meant as much to them as it did Val, so I made sure everything was captured. Val came home and made over a 100 cupcakes for the football boys as a stats girl with the other stat girls. I got to wash all the pans and containers the next day. So fun. But they had a lot of fun making them, and I made sure I took lots of pictures of that too. She'll want those one day, I know it. The boys lost the game that night. Ouch. I also realized how done I am with the high school. When Val's class is gone gone, I won't be coming back for much. It's too weird. I actually sat with my parents the whole game, practically! I kept getting congratulated for being the Queen's sister. I wonder if this is how Pippa Middleton feels. Umm, thanks? I'm glad God chose me as her sister too! No, it was really amazing. Many told me how great it was I could come. Could? Heck, I made sure I was there! I wrote my excuses to my teachers 2 weeks in advance! I am NOT going to be in class these days under any circumstances. There was no way. Absolutely no way I was going to miss this.
Saturday was also the day of the dance, and they started getting ready at 1:30. The dance was at 9. Of course, they were going out to eat, but REALLY?! Me and Dad (Mom was gone at a funeral) scrubbed the house down all day to be ready for the kids. They were also planning on coming to our house after the dance for movies. There was a lot to be done, so I was very stressed out by the whole thing. And then Val didn't get to the house until 9 to take pictures, so that frustrated me even more. LONG DAY. But worth it. Val looked just beautiful, like she does every day, and she and her Belgium date, Simon, had a lot of fun together. She's got some great stories about that kid! And his Belgium friends keep commenting on the picture in their language. I think they forget there's a translator online. What they write CRACKS ME UP!! I love foreign people... They're my favorite! (They're the winners, Philippine!)
Sunday was tough because we were all so tired and Val and I had to throw together a Sunday School lesson. I pulled out some of my VCBC knowledge and Val is just a natural with kids, so it all worked out. But I was in a bit of a jam. I had dedicated the entire 3 days to Valerie Lindaman, and I got nothing done for myself. I had just managed to get my laundry completed, but I'd only read 1 out of 6 chapters of Art History reading, and needed to do my Psychology reading, Fitness homework, and just plain packing. Plus hunting down my glasses and other things I wanted at college. With little sleep and a lot of stress, people ignite quickly, as it did with me and my dad. I love my daddy and we're fine, but I had said in our argument simply that I was feeling overworked, and Val started to cry, and say how sorry she was. She knew I did everything for her; everything she asked. And in return I managed to fail my art history quiz yesterday. Val and I went to her room, and I just hugged her and told her that I would do it all again and again. I told her how blessed I am that God gave me her for a sister. But her response was that she didn't know why she didn't do anything for me. I just told her that isn't how it works.
It's not how love works. Love is sacrifice, and I would give anything to make my sister happy. I've been there with her when she cried over friend's choices and when Mrs. Rau gave a hard assignment. I proof read the papers and helped her with her vocab words. I scrapped the duct tape residue from her favorite jacket and made sure her favorite shirt was washed for the next day. I scrubbed her counter, which is something she is terribly challenged at doing. I lost track of how many times I've fed her 6? rabbits. But I don't need anything in return. I don't even need to discuss it. But her saying that meant the world to me all the same. It just showed that she does realize how much I've done for her, and that she appreciates it. Of course, if she'd just send me a card to me here at school I'd be over the moon, but I'm just like that. Little things like that just make me happy.
Valerie Renae Lindaman is just the most amazing person you could ever meet. I don't know a single soul that doesn't like her (at least now). She is stunningly beautiful, and when I look at her senior pictures I just can't get over the fact that that person is my own sister. The girl who used to fill up regular balloons with water in the bathtub and pretend they were babies, then smash them on the trampoline!? Where'd that little fart go?! She is a much better student than I ever was or ever will be. She is so kind, without a single snide comment sliding out of her mouth. She's never chased guys, and has always treated them as brothers in Christ. She loves the Lord with all her heart, and camp this past summer has helped that so much. She's never been to a party, and she's never drank alcohol. She's a committed athlete, and tries to take care of our parents health as well. But if she keeps calling me squishy I'm going to start spilling all the embarrassing moments about her, no lie! ;)
She is the most amazing person I have ever had the privilege to meet, and I'm even more in awe of the fact that she's my sister. Congrats, Queen Val! I miss you!
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