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| Me, Kathy, a cousin, brothers Bobby and Billy |
March 25 is my younger sister
Kathy’s birthday. I scrolled through various personal gift websites. I love
sending her sentimental gifts.
I
was nine years old the day Mom brought Kathy home. She looked just like my
Thumbelina doll, wiggling in my mother’s arms. I loved helping Mom dress her.
Mom even let me help bathe her in the kitchen sink.
We
were a family of six, living in a four-bedroom colonial. My baby sister and
brother shared a bedroom until Kathy turned two. Then, Mom moved her into my
room to sleep on the bottom half of my trundle bed. What joy! We cuddled together
on my half of our bed, often falling asleep together. I mothered my precious
sister until circumstances separated us when she was eight.
*******
Yesterday,
I picked up the phone to call her, and then realized she wouldn’t be able to
answer. For over a week, I had been feeling depressed, not really knowing why.
As I hung up, a wave of grief and tears overtook me and my heart shattered into
pieces once again.
I had forgotten, as I often do, that Kathy passed away last
November, 2014, after a long and extremely painful battle with Stage 4 lung
cancer.
Every
time it hits me, my mind numbs. Even though I believe with all my heart that
she’s alive and safe in the hands of God, I miss her terribly.
The
place some of us call Heaven seems millions of miles and lifetimes away. I know
her reunion with Mom, Daddy, my precious younger brothers, Bobby and Billy, my dear
Aunt Tina, and my fun-loving cousin Frankie thrilled her.
Although I’m not anxious to leave this earth yet, I’m antsy to
be with them again, someday soon.
Wishing you an early Happy Birthday, sweet Kathy. Bear hugs
and kisses all over your face. I’ll love you forever and cherish the gift of
every moment we spent with each other.
“No farewell words were
spoken, no time to say goodbye,
you were gone before we
knew it, and only God knows why.” - Author Unknown
