Closer Than a Brother/Sister

Today’s blog is coming to you from San Diego. Last week I asked you to pray for my cold; several of you commented that you had done just that, the cold cleared up and I thank you plenty! 

While on the mend, Tony and I were able to attend and participate in two amazing meetings.  I had to laugh that in both services, every time I’d cough or sneeze, people from every angle were there with cough drops and Kleenexes.  Hawaii certainly has compassionate people! Either that or maybe everyone we hang out with is getting older and more infirm. I could also entertain the thought that they are simply afraid I’m communicable and would like me to stop the spread, but I won’t go there.

Speaking of compassionate people, I should mention why I’m in San Diego.  Despite a rather tumultuous year my sister has had, I was delighted to learn that several friends were determined to help her celebrate her upcoming 80th birthday! I of course could never miss something like that, so while Tony is finishing his responsibilities in Hawaii, I headed for California. It was a group effort, but today I find myself with Sherry and eight lovely people in a four-story Air B&B within walking distance of the beach. We are still in the middle of a five-day celebration, (Who knew it would take so long, but then at this age we have to slow the pace a bit) and I’m happy to say it’s going well.

All this has prompted a lot of “sister thinking” lately. Like a lot of our things in life, I find with my rather pedantic personality, I don’t spend a lot of time with such diversions, but I think maybe I should.

Tony turned out to be an only child.  A brother was stillborn when Tony was 11, but that was it.  He grew up in his own kind of reality, comfortable with solitude but still surrounded with plenty of peers, due to his parents’ indefatigable work with young people. He never felt lonely nor under or over privileged, and I think his childhood served him well…… but that’s another story.  

But back to me…….. I had just a sister, and I was late joining the party as she was 6 when I was born.  I’m pretty sure my Daddy was hoping for a boy, but he adjusted. I remember in reflection Sherry telling me that although we weren’t all that close growing up because of the age difference, she liked to put me up to asking the hard questions to folks like “Pleeease can we stop and get ice cream?” because I had the ‘cute appeal’ and was often more successful. 

I guess as I reflect, I’ve had many friends over the years, but it’s true: a sister is that “… friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). She’s the one you never lose, the one who doesn’t forget to keep in touch, even though we’ve spent most of our lives living very far apart.

I was 14 when our mother died.  Sherry was a newlywed, and I can’t imagine that she was really wanting to become my mother………. but it was a role she couldn’t avoid, and thankfully she was there for me.

Soon after Mother died, my very shy scientist father wrote me a letter (I was at boarding school, far from harm’s way in all this turmoil and adjustment). I’ll never forget what he said.

After all the general chit chat, he said, “About life……I’m sure there are some things you’d rather ask your sister”.  Somehow at 14, I was mature enough to hear him saying, “Please don’t make me tell you about the birds and the bees!”  So endearing.

So my sister, my “brother” in the biblical sense, that friend who would never go away, and when necessary a surrogate mother as well. Isn’t it beautiful how we all have lives that are filled with joys and fears, hopes and dreams, treasures and losses, and in the midst of all that, to the degree that we can step back and look through God’s eyes, we find that He is giving us just exactly what we need, when we need it.  This gives me the assurance that one day I’ll be able to stand alongside loved ones who have gone before, face our Heavenly Father and say from the heart, “Thank you; thank you for the mountains and the valleys, and for allowing me to be part of your incredible plan for your awesome Creation!”

Happy Birthday Sherry. Thank you and Thank God for being there for me ……. Always.

Marsha