Thursday, December 07, 2006

Things My Sister Teaches Me

I have a sister of biology. I also have a sister of choice. I’m scads closer to my sister of choice than I am the sister my parents gave me. My sister of choice is experiencing some life lessons that only those with infinite patience can ever learn anything from. And lessons that only those with boundless love can ever teach someone else.

Some things Ali has taught me:

That life brings you pain, but you can choose survival.

That if you wake up every morning smiling eventually people will want to kill you!

That courage comes and goes. . .but it never goes for long.

That the only way to move ahead is to keep looking in front of you – not behind you.

That the human heart is a wide, wide river of possibility.

To do the things that scare me. I’ll be stronger for it. I know this because she gets stronger every day.

That pinky swears are sacred oaths.

That forgiveness is a series of choices that you get to make.

That hope is the constant beating of your heart, even when all you can hear and feel and think about is the fear in your gut.

That faith is the choice you make when you can’t see around the next bend in the road.

That crocheting is faster than knitting. Sometimes we race.

That allowing other people to help you doesn’t just bring peace to your soul. It makes the one doing the helping stronger too.

That sister’s can pop into your life one afternoon on your front porch and move right into your soul. If you pay attention there's family all around!

I love you kid.

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