This is my sister Jennifer, and that is no beer bong she's holding. It's a kids' toy that she was waving really hard in a circle while laughing and trying to talk through it. I chose this photo because it sort of illustrates what I'm about to tell you. Anyone who knows her knows how fun she is. Have you ever seen a 31 year old get really excited to go sledding after a good snowfall? Well, my sister Jennifer gets more than just excited. She strategizes about it- like thinking about how many times she'll be able to go down the hill and in what fashion (so that she is able to plan the most efficient sledding event possible). Then, after planning for and thinking of all the possible outcomes (including the quality of the snow, the material of the particular sled she is using, and the best time of day to approach the hill) , she approaches the event with all the enthusiasm and liveliness of a five year old. She'll get all dressed up so that every inch of her skin is covered (you can sled more if you conserve your heat energy, she theorizes) except the tops of her red cheeks and her eyes, which absolutely glow with the excitement of the prospect of having possibly the best sledding outing to date. Though she is so swathed in clothing that she can barely walk, there is always a certain bounce in her waddle on the way to the sledding hill. Then, with the precision of a cardiac surgeon, she arranges herself on the sled just so. Then, since at this point moving would destroy what she believes to be her aerodynamic positioning, she usually will ask her husband Carey to give her the push-off, along with careful and detailed instructions not to push too hard or shove her so that she becomes airborne. This she does with the seriousness of a funeral home director. Then, he'll push her off and down the hill she'll go. To anyone observing, it will be a nondescript trip. But to Jennifer, it is the flight of a millenium. The sled will bounce a couple times, and it will appear that she is on the brink of a wipeout, but by some miracle she will manage to remain upright on her sled. Then her sled finally crawls to a stop, and she lumbers off of it with complete lack of grace (due, I'm sure, only to the extra 50 pounds of clothing she is wearing) and, completely unabashed, she begins her trek back up the hill, breathless and grinning from ear to ear. The whole way up, you can tell she is planning the next trip down, which is sure to include several minute corrections that she has determined will make all the difference in the next ride. But with her this approach is not just limited to sledding; instead, this is how she approaches her entire life, and it is one of the reasons that she will always be one of my favorite people. She has the capability and intelligence of an adult combined with the excitement and silliness of a kid. It's quite a combination, and the next time we go sledding, feel free to come along to witness her at her best- I'm sure she could teach you a thing or two about proper sledding mechanics along the way.
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