Sisters

Rod and I watched 'White Christmas' on Saturday. It is a movie that has special meaning for both of us, Rod used to watch it with his Dad and the army component of it resonates with him. I used to watch it as a yearly tradition with my sister and the sisters component of it is what I focus on more.

We both ended up feeling a little sad by the end of the movie. The year Rod's father passed away it was on a Christmas eve. White Christmas traditionally aired on Christmas Eve back at that time.

 My sister passed away on December 19th, 1981 - pre-deceased the same day by my grandfather by about five hours.It was a tough day for me. Seeing the movie and then realizing that December 19th was once again just around the corner hit me a little harder this year. There are many memories of caring for my sister and many times during the time period leading up to that day that I felt very inadequate in my abilities to help her or to help my grandmother out with my grandfather. A memory that helps me when I think of this time period is of holding my sister's hand in her final moments and telling my grandfather that it was now time for him to take her hand for the rest of their  journey. 

I really believe that God loves details and that for this very reason He provided me with not one, but two very special ladies that I consider to be my sisters and it has not escaped my attention that they both celebrate their birthdays on December 19th.

Gayle is short in stature but someone that I always look up to, I think she epitomizes the saying that good things come in small packages.

Carol is Rod's sister, therefore my sister-in-law. I think I've known her longer than I've known Rod and she has always taken on the role of big sister to me, which I have appreciated so much.

I purposely chose to spend this morning by being a sister to 'Benny'. This was her second chemo. Turns out we are very close to having been twin sisters. Her birthday is one day before mine, same year. With the exception of having to be poked twice for the IV, things went fairly smoothly for her with the infusions this time and from what I hear from her via email things are going well now that she is at home. I hope and pray that this will continue and that she will be feeling good for Christmas.

It was wonderful to come home later this afternoon and review the posts in the forum where we met each other. There were many, many messages of support for Benny from an international group of sisters.Wonderful that people can come together this way to support one another in and through these times.

'Sisters, sisters - there were never such devoted sisters ....'

Take care everyone.