Happy Birthday, Little One

"I don't know how to fight, but I'd draw blood tonight, if somebody tried hurting you."- Plain White T's 

You're five.
You're beautiful. You're everything special, and good, in my life.
Before we got you home, I didn't know, what a blessing a dog can be. You've taught me, what it is, to love, unconditionally.
In you, I see all that is good in myself. Coz for you, I willingly wake up at all hours of the night. For you, I give up food I like. For you, I sacrifice the few hours of reading I get over the weekend, coz you want to play. With you, I am patient. I rarely lose my temper. For you, I am strong. I protect you. I would kill for you. Just as I know, that you'd rip out the throat of anyone who hurts me.
You're the peace in my life. When I come home at 2am, exhausted, and hating everything, sitting with you, in the dark, and listening to you breathe, is as close to Heaven as I'll ever get.
You're no angel. You've ruined my shoes, my books, my make-up. You've peed on me, I've had to clean up your poop, and wash your fat bum, when you have loose motions. You're stubborn, and spoiled.
You make me hold your bowl of water, even when I have backaches. I'm allergic to your hair, and your saliva makes my skin swell up.
You treat me like dirt some days, simply coz I'm 'younger'. When you were a lot younger, you snapped at me, in anger and frustration. You forgot all that a minute later. You licked away the tears, the pain you inflicted had caused. You rest your head in my lap, when someone breaks my heart, and its all okay again.
When he left, I weeped my heart out. You stayed there the entire time, never moving, never tiring. I'd never felt more loved. Losing him, was okay, coz I have you.
You listen to my best friend's problems. She tells me that you listen better than I do.
You're the glue that holds me together. If you hadn't entered my life, I'd never be this person.
I never cared so much for anyone. But now, I put you first. When I come home late in the night, even when I'm hungry and sleepy, I  make sure I give you fresh water. And play with you. Not out of a sense of obligation, but simply coz, its you, and I love you.
Never before, has any face made me so happy. When I see your brown nose, and listen to you snore in your sleep, I feel calm. Like life has fallen into place.
When I get you new toys, or food you like, and your eyes light up, and your tongue falls out, and you stare in anticipation, I store that image of you in my heart.
Little snaps of you, are hidden away in my heart. Someday, when you're not here, I will remember and cry.
But then I will smile, coz you changed the girl I was. Made me a better person. Made my life happy. You brought love into my life. When I was in danger of losing faith in love, you restored it. You've made me care. You've brought me back from the brink. Someday, you won't be here. But your memories will.
But for today, you're five. And you're here. And that's enough.

Love,
Your Very Human Sister.

This should have been up, on the 3rd. Honey was ill all of yesterday, and I was working before that. So this is late.
Apologies.