Happy Birthday

Dear Rebekah,
Today would be your 18th birthday.  You should be a senior in high school, getting ready for all those fun things that go along with it.  Prom, graduation, chosing a college.  Would you have been a smart kid who had any college at their finger tips or would have been a social butterfly who was not quite so interested in school as I was?  I imagine I would have helped you with those big decisions.  Gone with you to pick out your prom dress, taken you on college visits.  Most importantly, I would have been there on your 18th birthday as you got your first tattoo.  I like to think that you would have had that in mind, after all, your big brother and sister both have them :-)

I think about my 18th birthday and the suprise birthday my parents had for me.  Would there have been a party today?  The weather is gorgeous on this your 18th birthday, nothing like January 10th should be in the midwest.  Would you have gone to the store and bought spray paint on your 18th birthday like I did?

If I close my eyes I can almost picture what I think you would have looked like as an 18 year old girl.  Red hair, blue eyes, basically a mini-me.  I wish you could have been here for everything.  I wish I could have held you and watched you grow.  I wish we could have done the things that sisters do, late night talks about boys and clothes and makeup... Those aren't so fun with Johnny.  You were taken far too soon and we did not get the chance to love you like we should have.  But we still love you so much.  It's so strange to love someone so much that you never really knew.  Someone that you didn't get the chance to spend time with to really truly love.  But I do love you. 

I hope that you're having a wonderful birthday up there in heaven Rebekah.  I'm sure that Grandpa Frerichs and your big brother Isaiah are throwing you a wonderful party.  I think you would have been the opposite of me, a girly girl who loved all things sparkly and pink.

Happy 18th birthday Rebekah.
Love,
Your big sister