Well, she's going to do it. Today, my little sister, Erin Walton is going to become Erin Northridge. Where has the time gone? I can still remember the day mama and daddy told me that I would finally had a sister. I was very young at the time, but I can still recall the excitement of a new baby in the house; a baby girl, nonetheless. My feeling of happiness had ended as soon as I saw her.

I knew from the moment I laid eyes on baby Erin that she was somebody special. The way she slept in mama's arms with her tiny blue eyes closed, her little mouth pouted and red hair just like my brother's Jason and Ben glistening in the sunlight made me think she was delivered from God himself. Jim-Bob and Elizabeth would follow her soon enough but can still swear on my life I had never seen a more beautiful baby than Erin.

I apparently wasn't the only one that felt that way about her. When she had gotten a little older and all of us siblings were to go into town, people would stop and stare at Erin. Ike Godsey once gave Erin a peppermint stick free of charge when it was just me, her and mama. I honestly don't think he knew I was there with them until a threw one of the biggest temper tantrums ever. He offered me a piece of licorice knowing it was one of my favorites while I was offered a spanking by daddy for acting out in public like that. I stood my ground the entire time, it simply wasn't fair that my little sister attention like that and I didn't.

As time marched on, our personalities would draw an even bigger wedge between us. I was the rough-and-tumble tomboy while she was the girly-girl. I liked my grungy jeans while I tossed a ball around outside with the boys. Erin was right at home with her little baby blue and pink dresses, learning needlepoint with grandma. I couldn't have cared less about needlepoint and while Erin would come run and play every once in a while, she could never catch up with my fireball nature. We drove each other nuts.

The only element that could drive us even more crazy with resentment towards each other was men. Don't even get me started with the story of how I ended up marrying Curtis. I could have tortured Erin for years over that and Lord knows, she would have deserved it. Yet at the same time, I really have to thank her for it. My years with Curt were filled with trial and turbulation but I don't regret a second of my marriage to him. If it weren't for him I would not have had my precious baby, John-Curtis. I pray that Erin doesn't go through the same challenges in her marriage that I had in mine.

"Mary-Ellen," I hear a familiar voice call out to me.

"Erin," I answer her, turning myself around to see her. God, she will never stop being beautiful to me. She looks like a dream in her dress and her hair is glistening just as it had the day I first met her. I take her in my arms with tears spilling out of my cheeks.

"Don't cry," she tells me. I can sense she's not trying to break down herself. "You're going to make me cry."

"I just can't believe that this day is here," I say, letting her go and wiping my eyes.

"You can't? Ha!"

"Well, I can. Now I know how you felt when you saw me on my wedding day."

"I was pretty proud."

"Well," the tears were beginning to fall again. There is no stopping them. "I'm very proud of you. I hope today is everything you ever wanted."

"I love you, Mary-Ellen," it was now her who was hugging me. I hug her back even tighter.

"I love you, Erin."