Letters of Gratitude, No. 5

Kaitlin,

Hawaiinei has been on my mind a lot lately, so I thought I'd kick off my friend-not-family letters with one to you. My favorite, we-can-literally-do-anything-together-and-have-an-incredible-time, BFF. If anyone else reading this has any doubts, ready-set-GO!

Orange and Green go good together
 
Hilo nights

Slytherins & Gryffindors CAN get along

Haircut time! May she rest in peace. :(

Am I naked?

Sleepless in Seattle

Cried like a little baby when I graduated. Love it.

We rock 4-miles like bosses

Tan for hours

Remember how many times we lipsynced 5:19 by Matt Wertz? I do. This session:


The funniest thing about our friendship is that we go to such remote places we hardly ever bring a camera for fear of damaging it. I've never had anyone in my life that's so easy to open up to, to hear from, and most importantly, to be absolutely ridiculous with.

Exhibit A:

I know we never talk when we're far away from each other (which is the majority of the time), but there's something to be said having a friendship that takes no maintenance, and picks up exactly where it left off every time.

I'm so proud to have you in my life and know that I rave about you all the time to my friends back East. I love you sistafrand, see you so. freaking. soon!

Let's go surf and hike and get all buss while I'm on Oahu,
Leina`ala

Letters of Gratitude, No. 4

Isaac,

My biggest brother, always tall and wise beyond your years. My childhood memories of you are slim, six years my senior--I remember vividly a protector, a quiet and present conscience and most importantly, a role model.

I don't know if I've ever said this to you out loud, but I look up to you in some many ways. I remember Dad saying that you came home from winning the gold medal at the national Academic Decathalon competition in writing, and I went to school the next day and bragged to all of my friends that you were the best writer in the whole country.

I kept a photo of you in my wallet after that, for some reason. I'd show you around middle school and say, he's smart and handsome! Well, not always:



But really, the best writer in ALL OF AMERICA. What a guy! It shows, I still read back through some of your well-put-together email chain arguments with the uncles when I'm tempted to send something in all caps instead. It always grounds me.

That's the thing, Dad, Eli and I all share a fairly fiery temper and a loud mouth. Those two combined can make a tough conversation tougher. So sometimes I think about your calm, generally collected, meticulously logical format of analysis and it takes the flame down to some more useful and long-lasting charcoals. The way you approach a problem is always impressive. I also have a memory of flying back to Hawaii and the pilot announced a competition:

Who could calculate how long the rest of the flight would take given the wind speeds, mileage left and average pace? The person who could get the closest got some sweet prize. You and several other passengers (including myself, who got lost drawing trains and point A to point B and trying to scramble for my Algebra) went to work. I think you won a bottle of wine which you graciously passed to Mom and Dad. I thought for you, oh darn! He didn't get a prize.

But then you looked at me with that huge, almost maniacally proud grin on your face, and I knew that you just wanted to win. The triumph of being the best on that whole damn plane was enough. A Robinson, no matter how you swing it. :) Kind of like this I think:


Anyway. In the last year I got to spend more than two incredible holidays and many incredible moments with you, two of my favorites being the speech you gave at Eli's wedding and watching you get prepped for your own wedding in Thailand. Both of which are pictured here:


The speech made me cry, bud. It was probably the first time I had ever heard you speak publicly about the major health issues you got through a while back, and you talked about how grateful you were that Eli had come to support you in that time. Two pretty emotional things happened in me at that moment. The first was that perhaps for the first time, I realized my biggest brother wasn't invulnerable. I mean, I've known all my life that your health has always been both an obstacle and an incredible accomplishment--but something about hearing it that day really hit it home for me. The second thing I took away was that I haven't gotten to know you in the ways I wish I could have. It was a bit like listening to a speech from someone I've known forever but I haven't really ever sat down with and had a heart-to-heart with. Really--I've known you my entire life.

Anyway, your wedding in Thailand was life-changing. For a couple of reasons. 1. You look so dapper in eyeliner. 2. You can't just lie about knowing four languages to the people at the third gate. Your bride was at stake!

All joking aside, I couldn't have been more grateful for the life experience that trip gave me, and for a momentous occasion! I couldn't even feel the stress on you and Oy, though I'm sure there was plenty!

I can't wait to get to know you more,  brother, and I love you so very much. Thank you for always being an inspiration, a shoulder to lean on, and helping lock Eli out of the house when he was being a jerk.

Love,
Leina`ala

Letters of Gratitude, No. 3

Eli,

You know what's coming--I laugh hardest and easiest with you. The closest image I have of our relationship is this:

Remember when you were pregnant and smoking a cig that one time? I loved those overalls. On a serious note--you give me cojones so big in the workplace I can't fit them in my damn overalls anymore. When I ask for a raise I always think about you. You have always been so confident in pursuing what you want to be doing, and forgetting everything else. When you aren't challenged or stimulated, you're not interested--and I inherited that trait from you.

That doesn't only hold true for work, you're like that about most things in life. Dad, you and I all have an adrenaline craving like a bad habit. Remember going segway-ing and you and Dad were fooling around during the instructional period in the beginning and Dad busted ass? If only you had had your GoPro on, I still remember him taking out most of the bicycle stand, landing on his butt and you hysterically laughing behind him.

Your laughter is so contagious, and you have one of the best smiles out there. Exhibit A:

And you know you are the connoisseur of the best facial expressions on the planet.

The "I have a turkey and WILL NOT give it to you, you bitch."

\

The "I 'm crying at my wife's wedding vows because I have a heart of gold."

The Napoleon Dynamite. "Shia LA BEOUF"

The "I have a sandwich and WILL NOT give it to you, you bitch. I also hear voices."

The "old japanese man."

The "oh my gawdddd soooo many hottiez all around me. HALP!"

The fishbowl. Similar to soooo many hottiez but warped.

Alright, embarrassed yet? NO! Of course not. You're a significant soul my friend, one that I've seen transform and be moved in so many ways through our lives. I wouldn't be your little sister if I didn't acknowledge just how awful you made my childhood. I have some thick, thick, emotional skin brother--and I'm grateful for it.

Remember that video of the Easter egg hunt? I was probably two, had just started doing that adorable toddler run/walk thing. I was in my pink lacy Easter dress and Mom & Dad had put out some "easy eggs" in the middle of the yard so I could find some with my two-year-old-undeveloped-brain. Dad said, " 1, 2, 3, GO!", You and Isaac sprinted off into the yard, Dad stayed behind to tell me to look for eggs. I waddled off the back porch, onto the grass, two steps from my first Easter egg, basket too-big-for-me-to-carry in tow, and you ran in front, grabbed the egg, threw it in your basket and ran off. Isaac says something to you in the video and you came back and put it in my basket.

Once, there was a huge wolf spider in Dad's truck, and it ran under the seat in front of me. You switched spots with me for the rest of the ride and put your arm around me.

More than once, you pinned me to the ground and dribbled a disgusting spit wad over my face precariously, letting it come within a quarter inch of my nose. Then, you dropped it. Huge, mucous membrane--all over my face. I cried and took a shower.

You came to visit me in Harrisonburg and we went to a Jell-O wrestling party and had the time of our freaking lives--both of us being awesome wrestlers made it so easy, whatever the medium. You came to the gay club with us and despite being groped by a million attractive men, didn't make a move on any of them ONCE. I still never understood--they were so good looking. :) We danced so hard and it was amazing.

Anyway, thank you for being a blast--24/7. For being kind (most of the time), determined, and an incredible big brother.

I love you,

Leina`ala