My Sister

Happy Birthday in Heaven Little One

I have written a few posts (The Dreaded C Word) about my amazing little sister and how we lost her at the young age of 38 after an 18-month battle with an aggressive cancer. I started this blog two years ago on her birthday with one of my favorite posts In the Bathroom with Gram. My blog has changed over the past two years, and I want to thank you for continuing to follow me on my journey as this blog and I evolve.

When you first started following me there were daily inspirations, my Adventures with Gram, Weekly Wednesday Workouts, and Friday Fixins. Then I would write a post or two about Family and Travel.

Last year, on my sister’s birthday, I changed it up a bit and started Weekly Wednesday Words along with Tuesday posts about anything from Gram to Travel to being a Pilot’s Wife. My posts became more sporadic because without having sweet Gram to take care of Jeff and I are Never Home. Last year, I started traveling as much as my husband who flies for a living. Therefore, it has been hard to keep up with my writing. It seems there is very little downtime! I hope you still enjoy my posts as much as I still enjoy writing them when I get the time to write. Please share my blog with your friends and family on your social media, especially those posts you find uplifting or motivational.

So here we are again on August 8^th, and today my sister would have been 43. It’s still so hard to believe she’s gone. A lot has changed over the past four and a half years. The kids are now almost 10 and seven. How did that happen?? They are the cutest and most amazing little humans. I am so blessed to be their aunt. We continue to travel to Virginia about every other month to see their sweet faces. They are happy, social, and involved in activities. It is really wonderful to see.

My brother-in-law stays busy as well and also is very happy. I believe my sister is smiling down from Heaven. I know she wants to be here in person to squeeze those little ones and to raise them beside her husband’s side. But since she cannot be here I know more than anything she wants all of us to be happy. She would want her husband to find someone to love and share his life with, she would want me to pursue my dreams of seeing the world with the amazing husband I found, she would want her mother to be happy doing activities she loves and find friendships she enjoys (and maybe even a significant other to share her life with), and she would want her children to run around, be active, explore their passions, and express gratitude and kindness towards all. She would want wonderful women in their lives to love them, to teach them, and to show them how important it is for life to be lived.

We all still miss my sister every day. We miss her smile and her sweet demeanor. She was one of a kind. My husband and I started a scholarship for her at our hometown high school. The young woman that we picked this year wrote a wonderful essay on why she should receive it. Then she wrote us a lovely thank you card with these words.

I am so honored to have received the Scholarship. I am so thankful for the generosity of you both and the support to pursue my dreams. I am beyond proud to resemble her character even in the slightest; I’ve heard amazing things about her. My gratitude is endless, thank you.

It meant the world to me that she took the time to apply for the essay and then write us such a sweet note. It brings tears to my eyes. This is what I want the community of Cambridge Springs to remember about my sister. Since she is not here I feel it is up to me to tell stories of how amazing of a person she was. I want everyone who didn’t have a chance to meet her to know her and love her as much as we all do. I want her memory to live on. I want everyone to remember her name. And when they see it, I want them to think of her and smile.