If this doesn’t prove that I am a pushover when it comes to Hannah and CJ, I don’t know what will. All Hannah did was ask if I would write a special article about her for her 17th birthday. Based on this article, I’m sure you can guess who won that conversation.

Hannah turned 17 last week, on the day my article was due, and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around that. She’ll be an adult next year. That freaks me out, too. She’s not a little girl that’s obsessed with Minions and dollhouses and silly sleepovers in my bed. She’s a beautiful junior in high school that’s obsessed with music and boys and proving that she can say ‘arteriovenous malformation.’

There are a lot of sappy things that I could tell you about Hannah to celebrate her birthday. A normal big sister would say that she’s growing into an amazing person and that she’s got a bright future ahead of her. Maybe they would mention how much Hannah’s laugh brightens up their day or how deeply she’s missed when I’m at school. However, Hannah and I aren’t your normal pair of sisters, so I won’t be telling you any of those things.

I will tell you that Hannah is one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. The world has tried to knock her down so many times in 17 years and she’s still standing. I know adults that aren’t as strong as Hannah. She also cares deeper and works harder than anyone else I know to keep up.

When you look at Hannah, you don’t see someone who’s overcome losing their daddy and a brain hemorrhage. You see a hilarious, confident, beautiful young woman who has so much more to accomplish when she gets older. You see someone that deserves everything good in this world and then some. You see a girl that won’t let the world push her down without pushing back.

Hannah is the type of person that would mock your voice cracking on a high note, insult your ability to sing, and finish the job by saying she’d miss that sound if she never heard it again. I don’t know what I would do if I could never see that crooked half-smile that she has when she’s up to something again.

Hannah is a morbid, beautiful, intelligent, hilarious, outrageous, and crazy 17-year-old that has so much to offer the world. I want to be the best role model that I can for Hannah and hope that I’ve made her half as proud as she makes me.

There are a lot of things I could tell you about Hannah for her 17th birthday, but there’s only one that matters: I love you, Hannah, and I’m glad that we’re sisters.

Love,

Your Biggest Fan.