A Tribute To My Oldest SiSter

My sister, Cheryl, and me, October 2010.

I like to remember her this way. It was a difficult time for all of us, we had just lost our mother. It  happened so fast. Diagnosed in April, 2010, and gone by August. Cheryl was living with mom at the time. An arrangement that worked for both of them. She was going through difficult times, and it seemed to bring some stability, and camaraderie, for both of them.  It was lucky for all of us that she was able to live with mom while going through what cancer treatment they could offer. All four of us sisters did our part, but having her there with mom was a gift.

I spent a lot of time going back and forth from Milwaukee to my mom's place near Sheboygan. Especially towards the end. And afterwards, when we had to empty out the apartment, which took weeks. This photo is from the final day of cleaning house. We were exhausted, a bit giddy from the stress of it all.

I was worried about her landing on her feet after all of this. She had always encompassed a fragility that was hard to explain. But, fortunately, she did okay, for a pretty long while.  Having gone through all the trauma of losing our mom, I tried to make it a point to get together with Cheryl regularly.  We would meet halfway between Sheboygan and Milwaukee.  Go for coffee. I was teaching her to crochet, and she was picking it up pretty well. Sometimes we would meet at a park, and have a picnic of sorts. 

Eventually things got a little tougher for her, but she hung on. Her sons had families, and she adored her grandchildren. There were good times, troubled times. Eventually, she had a health issue that caused a form of paralysis, and she could no longer walk. Barely use her arms. She entered a care home. She managed to maintain a pretty positive attitude, most days. But the past year her health deteriorated. And tonight, at 11:05 pm she passed away.

Even though it was expected eventually, it's still a shock. It's hard to believe my oldest sister is gone. It's going to take some time to process this. I'm glad she isn't in pain anymore. I hope she's walking in sunshine, wherever she is. Sure and steady. Trouble-free.