Sisters

With the holiday season quickly approaching I find myself thinking more and more of my sister Carol. Carol passed away on September 17, 2008.She lost her battle to breast cancer after many years of fighting.(I don't ever remember my sister losing at anything)I am still grieving the loss of my sister. Some days ,especially lately I don't have time to let myself think yet I know that the loss is there. It's such a void in ones life to lose a sibling. For me it has even been worse than when I lost my mom and dad.Carol was such a big part of my life,always there in some way. Whether she was 4000 miles away she would always call and visit whenever she could. Carol was 13 years older than me and did her best to look after me even when we were apart. I remember being a toddler and her playing with me. I remember the times she would watch me when my parents went out. She would teach me songs and nursery rhymes and lay with me on the couch and hug me real tight. (Come to think of it she always hugged me real tight!)I remember being 5 and Carol and my brother Kenny playing hide-n-seek with me,they thought they were being sly by kneeling on the floor and covering themselves with quilts . I remember spotting them immediately and thinking ," I can't find them yet they'll be sad and our game will be over."Many times after Carol went to college at Slippery Rock she would come home and take me to the movies. She made sure I saw all the Disney Classics, Snow White, Cinderella and Pinnochio I remember vividly. We would walk downtown and see the movies at the Warner Theatre. Even after she moved to Ohio she would drive back to Erie to take me trick or treating. Carol was the one whom I remember strongly discussing with my parents to send me to Sunday School, she made sure that I got there. (I'm not sure who won that discussion,all I know is that I attended Sunday School from then on.)After Carol was married and had her children she would come to Erie to pick me up and take me to her home to spend Christmas with them. I spent most of my holidays and vacations with Carol and her family. We traveled all over the U.S. on her family vacations. There were lots of good times. Don't get me wrong, we got under each others skins, as sisters often do but we talked about it and it was better.Carol asked me to drive out West with her when she moved to California to live with her daughter Colleen and her family. I took vacation from work and we did it! We literally drove to California. Crossing over the mountains leading to the Hoover Dam I was in a panic! Because it was pitch black,high,narrow roads with signs that said Mountain lion. moose and bear crossing! By the time that we got to Hoover Dam I wanted no part of driving anymore! This struck Carol as funny! Carol had a laugh that when she laughed too hard it came out like she was crying. It was infectious! We continued to talk over the phone and we visited each other as often as possible. I have never spent a Christmas without Carol either in person or with a phone call. I guess I'm going to learn to do that this year and you know what? It sucks!The last time that I spoke with Carol was 3 days before she died. Her breathing was labored and I knew it was too hard for her to talk so I said I'd let her go rest but I just wanted her to know that I loved her. She then perked up and said, "Oh honey, I know tht you love me and I love you too, very much!"Carol then began to nod off and tried to tell me to call her tomorrow. Those were the last words we spoke to each other. Which is nice. I sure do miss her.