Potter 1 of 3
Joanne Potter
Professor Conner
WRIT 201
28 November 2022
Your Birthday
My little sister and I were talking on the phone, and she asked me how I was doing. I
don’t recall what I told her but, somewhere along the line, I said the words “I can’t.”. Me looked
as though I shouldn’t say that. My little sister believes I can do anything. She says, “You’re my
big sister!” As if that’s suppose to mean I can overcome the obstacles in my life. She sees me as
someone strong, and she thinks I’m smart. She has a lot of faith in me although, at times, I have
none in myself. I use to wonder why she thought so highly of me. It’s been a decade since
she last saw me. She doesn’t know me anymore like she thinks she does, or so you would think.
She told me a story about myself. She said, “I was just five years old and it was your
twelfth birthday, Anna. There were balloons everywhere. All of our cousins were there. Mom
bought you a big birthday cake that had a witch on it. It was a lot of fun. You got a couple of
gifts, but also, you got a hundred dollars. Since it was your birthday, you got to go by yourself
and spend it however you wanted”. She continued, “I cried when you left. While you were gone,
I thought about all the cool toys you would probably bring home for yourself. It made me sad
and I wished it was my birthday instead.”
She said she waited and waited. She said I was gone for a long time and, when I finally got
Suddenly, it became clear why she encourages and believes in me. It’s hard to believe she
remembers my twelfth birthday. She was just five years old then. Even though I had forgotten
this memory, she held onto it. It made me sad but also happy. She does know me, probably better
than I know myself. It’s amazing the impact you can make on someone. I had not thought of it
again, until she bought it to my attention, it was forgotten. Remembering took me back to that
day. My baby sister was five years old, and loved baby dolls. When I got to the toy aisle, I saw
all the things my baby sister needed for her doll. She needed a baby stroller, a car seat, a bottle,
and baby clothes. I was going to make sure she had all the things she needed for her baby doll.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell what kind of person you are or were. Seeing how someone else
views you can give some perspective. I’m selfless, I’m kind, and I think of others more than I do
myself. My baby sister reminded me of this. There are days I wonder who I really am. If I’ve
been a good enough sister, daughter and friend. I’m hard on myself, maybe too hard at times.
Potter 2 of 3
Joanne Potter
Professor Conner
WRIT 201
28 November 2022
home, everyone invited had already left. She was very surprised when I walked through the door
with gifts galore. She asked me if I remembered all the toys I had bought. “Anna, you bought all
of the toys for me… on your birthday!” “It was YOUR birthday, and everything you bought was
for ME!” A warm feeling came over me as I remembered that day.
Potter 3 of 3
Joanne Potter
Professor Conner
WRIT 201
28 November 2022
