My Sister Joice
Dear Ann,
I am missing my sister more than ever now that she has returned to live in Tasmania. It’s not as if we were in constant touch when she lived in Forster, but she seems so much further away now that it’s not just a two hour drive up the highway.
However, we stay in touch by emails & the phone & I read the legacy she left me in the beautiful calendar she gave me twelve months ago. The verses therein are a constant reminder to me of her love & so it says in:
SEPTEMBER.
You Are One Of The Strongest Women I Know
Strong women are those who know the road ahead will be strewn with obstacles, but they still choose to walk it because it is the right one for them.
Strong women are those who make mistakes, who admit them, learn from those failures & then use that knowledge.
(The next bit Joice has underlined).
Strong women are easily hurt, but they still extend their hearts & hands knowing the risk & accepting the pain when it comes.
Strong women are sometimes beat down in life, but they still stand up & step forward again.
Strong women are afraid. They face fear & move ahead to the future, as uncertain as it can be.
Strong women are not those who succeed the first time. They’re the ones who fall time & again but still keep trying until they succeed. (Another underlined bit).
Strong women face the daily trials of life, sometimes with a tear, but always with their heads held high as the new day dawns.OCTOBER.
How Do You Tell A Sister how wonderful she is?
A sister is someone more special than words can begin to describe. She is love mixed with friendship & with a million favourite memories that will always last.
A sister is a hand within yours enfolded with hope & understanding. She is a warm hearted soul who always knows the most innermost things – your secrets & wishes & worries & dreams – when no one else comes close.
And every day of your life she gives you a feeling which makes you feel what you would ever do without her. Because no one is loved so dearly & no one is appreciated so much.NOVEMBER.
When I Look At You Sister…
I see a remarkable woman with a kind & caring heart who is beautiful in every sense of the word.
I see a smile that lightens up the room & laughter that is truly contagious.
I see strength & wisdom beyond anything I have ever known.
I see love, pure & true compassion & thoughtfulness.
I see a woman who walks through this world with gentleness & grace.
(Again, this is underlined by Joice)
I admire you for all that you are & all that you do. You are everything wonderful in this world & if I had just one wish it would be that you see what I see when I look at you,
DECEMBER.
A Sister Like You Is Such A Wondeful Gift
There have been a thousand times when I have thanked my lucky stars for you.
You are the good standard that all sisters should be measured by.
You are such a wonderful example of how to live a life that brightens the days of everyone around you.
You are a steady stream of support, a reassuring feeling that is always with me & a gift whose value is unmeasurable.
You are beautiful in more ways than you know & always will be.
And that is the calendar of lovely words from my sister to me. Although it may not all be true, but I know it comes from the heart. It makes me feel good to know that I am thought of so highly & loved so much.
On the other side of the fence a lot of what is written is iterated by me for Joice also. She was the baby sister I prayed so hard for & God granted my request. We have had a lifetime spanning over eighty years of loving & caring for each other.
Joice has been more than a sister to me, she has been my best friend & what can I say more than that.
When I was told I had terminal cancer, Joice asked could she have my wind chimes so that when they rang she would feel I was talking or reaching out to her. That was a lovely thing for her to say.
She may have to wait a long time for the wind chimes to go her way,
My love to you dear friend & God Bless. Dawn X O X O