The Circle of Life

There are times in life when words fail.

I am blessed to be part of a close family. I have my parents to thank for that, and in their absence, my sisters. We talk regularly during the good times, and when trouble strikes, we band together. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that my parents had four of us.

Today, I want to tell you abour my oldest sister. She would HATE that I was talking about her in public, but there is so much I want to say.

When we were little, we weren't allowed to come downstairs on Christmas morning until a certain time, so the four of us would sit on the top steps while my oldest sister kept track of the time with her watch. She made "sculptures" out of stacks of presents, like reindeer (at Christmas) or crabs (for bridal showers). For years, she was the one who organized the family reunions that brought us all together.

She was always up for an adventure. Anytime we asked if she wanted to take a road trip, she was ready to go. We'd get tickets to go to a show in the city, or spend time together on a "sister weekend." When my parents were ill, she and I often rode together to visit them since we live in promixity, giving us time to talk through our emotions before we arrived so we could put on a brave face. She was never judgmental, and there wasn't anything I couldn't talk to her about. And we often did talk, for hours at a time. Weekly. She gave so much of herself to her family and to her friends.

I lost my sister this week, and I don't know how we'll ever fill the void she left behind. She was such a very special person to all of us. There are no words at times like this. Mortality is something we all must face, and something we all take for granted. None of us knew how little time we had left with her, and she didn't know how little time she had. I thank God for her life, for her presence in our lives, and for the love she shared in abundance.