This picture is my sister Julie, sister Karen and me taken in 1985 at the time of my dad's death. Today is all about my sister Karen. I can't begin to express how much I have realized the loss of my sister Karen in the last several years. I don't know if it is because of my age (nearing 60) or if it is the loss of my mom also, but over and over I have felt that I would love to talk to Karen! And the funny thing about that is that we didn't talk all that much. We didn't see each other very often either. I talked with Julie, my other sister, yesterday and we had a good chat, just catching up on the family news. At the end of that conversation, it hit me that I would love to be able to have a conversation like that with Karen. While I am thankful for Facebook and the ability to stay somewhat in the loop with Karen's kids, it really is not the same. In thinking back, during my growing up years, Karen seemed much more like an aunt than a sister to me because of our age difference. When I got married, things changed, I think because I was now relating to Karen "adult to adult". And then when Gwen was born, it was "mom to mom". Sadly Karen and I didn't have much time to relate "grandma to grandma" since Lia was only 11 months old when Karen died.
I love this picture of Karen and her friend (sorry, but I don't know her name) and my mom and I. It was taken in the summer of 1955 before I was a year old. When I look at this picture of Karen, I think about all the movies and stories I have read about being a teenager in the 1950's. What a different time it was than the 1970's when I was a teenager. My mom often said that she raised kids in so many different "generations" - the 50's and the 60's and the 70's. What a wide time span and interesting changing lifestyles. Let's face it, by the time I was in high school, there wasn't a dress code! Very different than the 50's. I remember my sister Julie setting her hair in rollers.....EVERY NIGHT... before going to bed. I had long straight hair all through high school. I didn't own a curling iron until long after I was married. I think Karen set her hair in pin curls. Yep, we had very different experiences growing up. But we are still sisters. Just as my post title today says.... sister are different flowers from the same garden!
My sister Karen had an amazing singing voice. I always wished that I could sing like her. When I realized that Gwen had that same musical, wonderful voice, I was so pleased. And I believe that Karen and Gwen had a special connection since Karen was Gwen's Godmother. And this is part of how amazing a spiritual heritage is in a family. These special gifts that are sown into generations of a family and then "bloom" in future children. I think of our grandmother, Nora Larson Toensing, who had such an amazing voice that when she sang in church in the summer, people could hear her miles away, as her voice carried on the breezes through the open windows and doors of the church. Yes, I believe that Jesus has a plan and destiny for our family and this is just one way of seeing the fulfillment of that. I love that our family "garden" has seeds that have been sown by Jesus and only he knows exactly what that garden in full bloom will look like. Yes, sisters are different flowers in the same garden, but we share so much that has been lovingly placed in that garden. We share a destiny and our lives are woven together, connected not only by the past, but by the future.
Jesus, thank you. I love that you take moments and memories and help us see beyond our own thoughts and feelings to see from your perspective. Holy Spirit, thank you for using this blog to help me gain a better understanding of how you work in our families. Help us all to continue to go deeper into you and to see with your eyes. Thank you for my family. Amen
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