To honor my Hemie for her 27th birthday, I thought I would put together a list of 27 reasons why she is the most special little princess in our lives. <3 

1) She’s been dubbed my “twin” for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we spent nearly every weekend together and ALL the summers together! From SAT classes to tennis classes, science camps to exercise camps, we’ve been the dynamic duo. We used to collect bags of glittery rocks, climbed the roof across the street about a million times, and started our very own Puppy Love club. We were inseparable. If you saw one of us, the other wasn’t far behind.

You think I’d be sick of her by now, but I’m not!

2) She knows how to push me to be better and encourage me to strive for more without pissing me off. She’s gentle but firm in her approach and it makes me respect her that much more.

3) She makes me feel like I’m the best cook in the world. I will throw veggies in a bowl and she will “oooooh” and “aaaaah” like I just whipped up a gourmet meal.

4) I am always so excited to introduce her to new people. She has the ability to connect and develop a relationship with just about anyone.

5) She finds the good in everyone. That’s a rare quality to find in somebody, but Hema has a way to recognize endearing qualities in every single person she comes across.

6) She is the first person to read my blog posts. Within seconds after I hit “Publish,” I always get a GChat from her telling me how much she enjoyed my post that day. The fact that she reads my daily musings makes me feel so special and I love that she tells me every time. <3

7) Despite being insanely busy with her B-School schedule, she still manages to keep in touch with the family. Daily check-ins on Whatsapp, GChats to let us know she’s thinking of us, or quick phone calls in between events show us just how much she cares. Even when there’s barely room to breathe.

8) She is an insanely talented human being, but so humble about everything.

9) She instills more confidence in me than anybody I’ve ever known. She somehow manages to find things about me that are special and, over time, helps me see those things in myself.

10) She’s so appreciative of everything that’s been given to her and so grateful for everything that she’s worked her ass off to get.

11) When she asks you how you’re doing, she genuinely wants to know. Hema wants to know the highs, lows, and all the in-betweens. She wants to know what you ate for lunch that day, how many times you went to the bathroom, and what your goals are for the week. She wants to know. Not because she’s looking for small talk, but because she actually cares about your life. And wants to know all the little details about your day.

12) She knows my likes, my dislikes, my ups, my downs. And she knows that when I’m down, all she has to do is hand me a glass of wine and things start looking up. Granted, most people know that about me, but it’s definitely one of the reasons I love her.

13) Speaking of wine, Hema dislikes red wine. Meaning, more red wine for me.

14) She’s so positive and optimistic when things don’t go according to plan. She knows that there is a reason behind every event and she recognizes that things will fall into place eventually.

15) She doesn’t try to solve the problem. She understands that life can be frustrating, and when that happens, I just want someone to listen to me vent. And not provide a solution for me. I just want someone to pick up the phone and let me bitch and moan. And she recognizes when it’s time for that. That’s a special twin quality that not everybody gets.

16) But then there are times when I need to be slapped in the face and be forced to look at things with a different perspective. She’s not afraid to speak up or share her opinion even if it differs from mine. She helps me see things differently. I appreciate that. It’s how we learn. It’s how we grow.

17) People naturally gravitate toward her because of her uplifting and positive demeanor.

18) She remembers all the things. She makes you feel like what you say is important and valuable.

19) She’s the president of her freaking B-School class. On top of all the obligations and work she has to do, she wants to make a difference. She wants to be a part of something big.

20) When she was in high school, she drew a big “V” on a piece of lined paper and taped it to her wall. The “V” was a reminder that she was working each day to become Valedictorian of her school. 4 years later she proudly walked across the stage – as the Valedictorian of Don Lugo High School. Today, she continues to have that drive and ambition. It’s so inspiring to watch her attain these goals she’s set for herself. I am so proud of what she’s done.

21) She loves fro-yo more than I do. I will always have a fro-yo partner in her and that’s pretty damn important.

22) When our Nanu passed away a few years ago, it was one of the most challenging times in our lives. I am so fortunate to have a sister like Hemie to sit with, cry with, laugh with, and be completely myself with. Without her support, I don’t think I would have gotten through those difficult moments.

23) She looked like a little Chinese doll growing up. We used to tease her that she wasn’t related to any of us, but we were probably just jealous because she was the cutest baby of us all.

24) When we were roommates in LA, she put up with my terrible habit of not putting the toilet paper on the roll. That’s true love.

25) We can have a whole conversation in ONLY emojis and, without any added explanation, I absolutely get her. Twin vibe. Or a wide variety of emojis. One of the two.

26) We’ve had our fair share of sibling fights. But, they always end in the same way. Neither of us apologize. We just start talking again. Because both of us know that, no matter what happens in life, we will always be a part of each other. So there’s no use in holding grudges. We just get on with our lives. Because our lives are one.

27) She is beautiful. There’s no doubt about it that she’s one of the most gorgeous people I know. But, then you add her personality into the mix, and she just wins. I know I’m biased because she’s my little sister, but I just feel so blessed and so grateful to call her mine. My life would not be the same without her in it.

Happy birthday Twin. I love you more with every passing day! <3