My sister is a saint. Not in the typical, traditional sense; she’s no angel (I know she’d agree). But she does have the patience of one.
Case in point: This past weekend, she took our 80+year-old parents on a road trip to Massachusetts to see her oldest play hockey (he’s a college senior who’s missed a few seasons due to injuries and surgeries, so this is a big deal).
If you have older parents, I could end this post here because you can probably guess how this played out. But if you aren’t lucky enough to experience life with aging parents who won’t fully admit that they aren’t as young as they used to be, allow me to explain …
Octogenarians are stubborn AF. They’re also a bit salty. And forgetful. And hard of hearing. Oh, yeah, and they drive like a cross between Mario Andretti and Mr. Magoo, but walk at a snail’s pace. In other words, not exactly the ideal travel partners for someone who’s often referred to as a bat out of hell.
I won’t go into details and blog shame anyone, but just know that gas station yogurt parfaits (barf), printed driving directions (Rand McNally would be proud), a 40-minute search for a bag of ‘lost’ Valentine’s Day candy (that was actually left back in NY), a soup debacle (don’t ask), and more than one bathroom stop were involved … And that was only the drive up to Boston!
But this post isn’t about my parents’ silly blunders — although they may be fodder for another post soon.
This post is about my sister. A real saint-in-waiting.
I’ve written about D in past blogs. In fact, a little over two years ago, I dedicated a post to her. Take a few minutes to reread “Sisterly Love” now. Everything I said in that post still stands today; I admire my sister more than she’ll ever know (despite me sharing most of it online).
Like most sisters, we have a special bond. It’s not sappy, but it is loving. And like most relationships, we’ve had our ups and downs, good times and bad. Our dynamic has ebbed and flowed as our lives have changed, but two things have never changed — and I can’t imagine they ever will:
- She loves my boys as if they were her own.
- She always has my back, no matter what.
D is my rock. She is calm in a storm and supportive beyond measure. The size of her heart is only matched by the size of her mouth, which is probably her best quality (although not her only).
She is kind, yet assertive. Giving, yet protective. Patient, yet firm. She ‘fosters’ hockey players virtually every season/school year, hosts nearly every event and holiday, and carries more than her fair share of the family burden. She takes life at her own pace, with a sarcastic wit that proves we’re related. She is not without fault, but she is still an amazing sister and human.
D, thank you for always having my back and for always ‘taking one for the team’. Now if you can just get Mom to take a back seat (quietly), your canonization into sainthood is a lock.
— LJDT
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