For My Sister On Her Birthday

I blame it on my memory that I’m not able to recall

All of our play dates and elaborate childhood fetes

But I know day-by-day you were there through it all

You were, after all, my cherished childhood playmate

You stayed by my side during our teenage years

A confidant, a friend, just like you’d always been

Sometimes, like Jiminy Cricket, whispering in my ears

You’d try to steer me right, often to my chagrin

During those years I’m sure that you dreamed

Of marriage, family, of everything ending happily

These common dreams, these familiar childhood themes

Give us hope but ultimately can crumble so suddenly

I want you to know that I ached for you when I heard

That your dream was coming to an end

I still feel the pain of your dream deferred

I wanted it to come true for you, my beloved friend

That almost fifty years of our lives have passed amazes

Memories feature more prominently now than dreams

I wish we could be closer together as we go through this phase

Together like we used to be, an inseparable team

But alas, distance precludes proximity and keeps us apart

But that doesn’t prevent me feeling close to you

Because closeness only requires nearness of heart

That is born of shared experience – my love for you

A love that began in our shared, carefree play

A love that grew as we tried to find our place

A love that matured in the trials of the day

A love nurtured in the Gospel of grace

I love you, Sis.

December 2012