
Remember going to the public pool ALL DAY?
Today, I am remembering some of the most special times from my childhood... times spent with my older sister...
It was a WISH COME TRUE for me....
I had always WISHED FOR A SISTER!!!!
Her name was Jackie and I remember seeing pictures of her and thinking how beautiful she was! When I finally got to meet her, she was WAY COOLER than I could have imagined! She had the coolest scottish accent, which I attempted to mimic for YEARS!
I remember looking up to her and wishing I could be more like her.
She was so out-going & FEARLESS,
I was shy & SCARED.
We got outfits that were exactly the same, just in different colors.
I thought it was so COOL and I suspect she thought it was REALLY dumb!
Can you blame her?
Afterall, I was the YOUNGER one, making me the "annoying little sister!" ha-ha!
She grew up living with my Dad in California and then in Virginia (my Dad was in the Navy). I grew up living with my Mom in Minnesota. The summers I spent with my sister Jackie were some of the happiest of my childhood memories.
Even when we grew up, I still watched her in admiration... don't know if that will ever go away.
Not long ago, I wrote a blog entitled: Parenting In Spite of Divorce
You should know that MY SISTER was the one who originally inspired me to make peace with my Daughter's Dad. My Sister, Jackie, has never stopped being an inspirational person in my life.
As a kid, I heard that blood was thicker than water.
Apparently that meant that REAL blood related family members
have a closer bond than step-family members.
WE BOTH DISAGREED!
My Step-Sister was the one who helped me realize that
Blood may be thicker than water, BUT...
LOVE is Always Thicker than Blood!
My Sister started looking out for me when we were kids and she hasn't stopped since!
I felt sorry for ANY young boy who Jackie heard call me a mean name!
My Sister probably threatened more kids than anyone I know...ha!
She said, "nobody messes with MY LITTLE SISTER and gets away with it!"
My Sister, Jackie, is the one who FIRST got my attention, after observing that the marriage I was in, just wasn't healthy for me. She's always been a bit protective of me because she loves me alot!
She was very upset to witness the way I was being treated by my Husband.
I had heard other friends say the same things, but I dismissed it because I was so deep in the middle of it, I couldn't see it clearly.
There she was again...
MY BIG SISTER, ready to beat up the boy who had dared be mean to me!
I've always listened to MY SISTER...
After all, I've always looked up to her and valued her opinions.
When MY SISTER said something about my marriage...
IT GOT MY ATTENTION!
I believe that was when I began seeing things differently. That's when I began
TRYING TO TAKE BACK some of the ground I had given up in my marriage.
I used to visit my family on the East Coast once or twice a year. Ever since that vacation we took with my Sister.... my Husband said we could not afford for me to go visit. Has it been three or four years since I've seen my sister?
It's taken a few years, but I became strong enough to
TAKE A STAND.
When my Husband tried to knock me back down, I kept getting back up!
Finally, I was strong enough to REMAIN STANDING!
I am soon FREE from that chapter of my life, hopefully my divorce will be settled soon. It's been a long tough road.
It's hard to LOVE SOMEONE with all your heart, overlooking how they treat you, because you know they are hurting so badly on the inside. I made excuses for him for a long time, even though they are probably true, it didn't excuse the way he was treating me. I don't know if I would have made it this far, had my sister not gotten my attention!
She's responsible for so many GREAT THINGS in my life.... I don't know how to thank her enough.
TODAY, it's my Sister's Birthday.
She was diagnosed with Breast Cancer this year.
Although we still live very far away from each other, she's still one of
the most INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE in my life!
She's been very strong during this time...
I've watched her on Facebook, but tried to keep my distance.
Ya see... if I talked with her, she'd ask me questions about my life.
My life has been changing alot over the last year.
I didn't want my Sister to know how bad things had gotten.
I KNOW MY BIG SISTER!!!
Had she known even a little bit ...
She would have gotten on a plane and been here to kick my Husband's butt!
My Husband is the biggest bully I've ever had to deal with...
so many times I wished she was here with me.
She was always so STRONG & FEARLESS!!!!
Standing next to her.... I always felt stronger!
I knew that this time, she couldn't loan me her strength, she needed all of it for herself.
She's been busy, taking a stand against a Big Bully of her own, Breast Cancer.
It's ironic that we have both been battling one of the biggest fights of our lives
AT THE SAME TIME!
I LOVE MY BIG SISTER...
I STOOD UP and FOUGHT MY OWN BULLY....
so this time, she didn't have to!
She's nearly done with her Cancer Treatment!
She LOOKS AMAZING... as usual.
Isn't it also strange that
OUR BATTLES AGAINST THE BULLIES
are coming to an end at about the same time too?
We are BOTH going to be Victorious!
Thanks for being a constant Inspiration in MY LIFE Jackie!
Hope you have an AMAZING Birthday Today....
Look, without me there... you get to have
YOUR VERY OWN BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!!
I LOVE YOU!!!
written by: Jennifer Kruse, LMT CRMT
www.JenniferKruse.com
www.Aspire2Heal.com