meet you at the gym door….

Today my big sister turns 43.

As I walked Dutch tonight, I walked through Sylvan elementary school yard and stopped and smiled as I approached the gym door. It was the place Arlene and I always met at recess. My mom tells us teachers were worried about us cause we always played with each other. I remember heading out of the school doors when the bell rang and meeting Arlene at the gym door. It is a great memory and I always knew she would be there…

Today it is no longer the gym door, but we continue to share life together. She has been generous in sharing her family with me and we now both fully understand what it is to love the work of Hospice. I used to be a Hospice Social Worker and today she is a Hospice nurse. She has an unforgettable memory and recounts many stories of how she looked out for me or spoke up in my defense. She always was and continues to be a great big sister.

How fun it would be if we could still meet at the “gym door” every day, but now we talk on the phone at least once a day and never seem to run out of things to say. It doesn’t seem like so long ago that we were sharing a room and singing hymns together at bedtime when we couldn’t fall asleep. Can we both really be in our forties?

It always feels funny to use the picture above because it is missing my other favorite sister Suzi.

Although there was once years without Suzi, today we are all good friends. We laugh and cry together, but we also celebrate together. I am thankful for my sisters! Happy Birthday Arlene Ann. May it be a year of much joy, delightful moments, deep contentedness, personal satisfaction and professional impact. I am thankful for our days way back when and the here and now. Thanks for always being at the gym door and for sticking close by even when distance separated us. You have grown up good! I love you and happy happy birthday!