what life would be like without my sisters….
I pray for them daily, I talk to them regularly and I always enjoy seeing them whenever we can work it out. They are very much a part of my day-to-day and I enjoy looking at our experiences shared in the past and what we dream of together in the future….
I am keenly aware of my love for them tonight, because tomorrow it will be 16 years ago that my Mom and Aunt Dot said good-bye to their sister, my Aunt Sim, who was in her early 50’s. Aunt Sim lived in Denver, so our visits were sporadic, but my memories of her are sweet. I think of her kindness and the tenderness in her voice and eyes. I remember her as an advocate for many as she was passionate about her role as a Social Worker. I love how her and my Uncle traveled the world to embrace their daughter and bring home my cousin from Costa Rica who I still find delightful today!
I don’t think that I understood love and loss 16 years ago like I do today. I felt sorrow for them in their loss, but I did not stop to consider the lasting ache that would continue every day there after. As I have grown in my relationships with my sisters, I now understand more fully the presence and therefore the absence of a sister. Today, as I think about my Mom, Aunt Dot, Aunt Anita, Aunt Trina, Aunt Wilma, Aunt Henny, Aunt Jaltina, Aunt Follie, Uncle John, Uncle Myles and Uncle Pete, I am sorry still, sixteen years later, for the loss of someone they loved dearly.
This week our friend Yolanda lost her sister to cancer. My heart aches for her and my prayers will be for her daily. I can’t quite imagine…
I love you Arlene and Suzi…know that I am thankful for you every day!