Friday, September 29, 2006
My sister is the most courageous woman I know.
The little girl was used to having her sister leave on alternate weekends. She knew her sister went to see her Daddy. However this time things seemed different. Everyone seemed mad and upset and the little girl didn't like that and tended to stay out of the way when that occurred. At 4 years old, she had already learned the meaning and advantages of "out of sight - out of mind."
Her Sister's Daddy showed up in a truck this time. That's weird. He usually came in a car. Why are they taking her furniture? She had furniture at her Daddy's house, didn't she?
The little girl ran and peered through the screen door at her sister and her sister's Daddy loading the last of her things into the truck. Something's not right here. This doesn't seem like the other weekends. As her sister and her sister's Daddy drove away, the little girl thought to herself, "Sissy! Turn around and wave good bye again! Sissy!"
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Seemingly out of the blue, Mom got a phone call from my sister. When Mom said we were meeting her on a Saturday at the newspaper where Mom worked, I felt like a person who had been sworn to secrecy for years and the secret was finally revealed.
Over the previous 10 years, I had been instructed to just call myself an only child. It was easier that way because people didn't need to know our business. Sometimes, I just couldn't stand it any more and I would show a friend a picture of me and my sister together but had to swear them to secrecy.
When we moved from a big house to a single wide mobile home, we put a lot of our stuff in storage. Dad didn't pay the bill for several months in a row and our stuff was confiscated, including our family photos. Suddenly, I didn't have any proof of my sister anymore.
However today I was going to see my sister in person and have living proof that she existed! Had she missed me? Would she like me? What would she look like? As I sat pondering these things, a stunningly beautiful redhead came to the door of the newspaper and knocked on the locked door. I sat and stared for a moment and knew it was her. The little 4 year old in me wanted to run and cling to her, but the scared 14 year old held back.
I walked to the door and opened it. The beautiful woman asked for my Mom and I let her in. She looked at me a beat longer and then said, "Joan?"
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Although my sister and I have different Dads, we have never referred to each other as 1/2 sisters. It just doesn't feel right. She is first and foremost my sister and I'm very fortunate to also have her as a friend. The last promise that we made to our Mom is that we would take care of each other, and we have kept our promise - not just because of the promise we made Mom, but because we love each other dearly.
I cannot begin to express how much I love, cherish and appreciate my sister. She has a piece of my heart and soul that only one other person in this world has, and that is her son and my nephew, Eric.
Sissy, I'm so glad you had the courage to make that call to Mom 25 years ago. I love you more than I can say.
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Her Sister's Daddy showed up in a truck this time. That's weird. He usually came in a car. Why are they taking her furniture? She had furniture at her Daddy's house, didn't she?
The little girl ran and peered through the screen door at her sister and her sister's Daddy loading the last of her things into the truck. Something's not right here. This doesn't seem like the other weekends. As her sister and her sister's Daddy drove away, the little girl thought to herself, "Sissy! Turn around and wave good bye again! Sissy!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seemingly out of the blue, Mom got a phone call from my sister. When Mom said we were meeting her on a Saturday at the newspaper where Mom worked, I felt like a person who had been sworn to secrecy for years and the secret was finally revealed.
Over the previous 10 years, I had been instructed to just call myself an only child. It was easier that way because people didn't need to know our business. Sometimes, I just couldn't stand it any more and I would show a friend a picture of me and my sister together but had to swear them to secrecy.
When we moved from a big house to a single wide mobile home, we put a lot of our stuff in storage. Dad didn't pay the bill for several months in a row and our stuff was confiscated, including our family photos. Suddenly, I didn't have any proof of my sister anymore.
However today I was going to see my sister in person and have living proof that she existed! Had she missed me? Would she like me? What would she look like? As I sat pondering these things, a stunningly beautiful redhead came to the door of the newspaper and knocked on the locked door. I sat and stared for a moment and knew it was her. The little 4 year old in me wanted to run and cling to her, but the scared 14 year old held back.
I walked to the door and opened it. The beautiful woman asked for my Mom and I let her in. She looked at me a beat longer and then said, "Joan?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although my sister and I have different Dads, we have never referred to each other as 1/2 sisters. It just doesn't feel right. She is first and foremost my sister and I'm very fortunate to also have her as a friend. The last promise that we made to our Mom is that we would take care of each other, and we have kept our promise - not just because of the promise we made Mom, but because we love each other dearly.
I cannot begin to express how much I love, cherish and appreciate my sister. She has a piece of my heart and soul that only one other person in this world has, and that is her son and my nephew, Eric.
Sissy, I'm so glad you had the courage to make that call to Mom 25 years ago. I love you more than I can say.
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