My Sister

A few weeks ago I wrote about how I lost my sister. Now I want to write about her, to tell about what kind of person she was and how her presence affected my life. A year and a half apart, my sister and I were very close. When we were growing up, many people thought we were twins, which rather astonished me, because we didn’t look alike. However, I could say we were twins in a sense. Not physically, but emotionally. Perhaps it was because of our closeness in age and the fact that we always spent a lot of time together ever since we were little.

So many of my memories were shared with her. There were many times when we would reminiscence about things that happened when we were younger. Sometimes we would remind each other about things the other had forgotten, and we would take turns giving details to reconstruct the memory together. That was something I really enjoyed, and it makes me sad now because now I’m the only one with those memories.

Twins in a Way

So yes, we were very much alike. Not only did we share a lot of experiences, we also shared the majority of our tastes. We enjoyed the same activities and we liked the same things. Often we would talk about how easy it was for us to get gifts for each other. If she liked something, she knew I would like it, and if I liked something, I knew she would.

We also tended to think alike as well. Sometimes it was uncanny just how much alike we were in that respect. So many times we would see something and have the exact same reaction to it, or we would notice the same things differently from other people, or we would have the same thought. So many times one of us would say something, and the other one would say, “That’s just what I was going to say!” Then we would joke and say, “Well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike!” It was just so amazing. She and I would talk about everything, whether it was recounting experiences or making plans. Together with my youngest sister, we would often have little meetings in the sewing room where the three of us would talk about things and make plans.

She and I would tell each other everything. Every time I saw something, whether it was a funny video, a cute picture, a project idea, or anything else, my first thought was always to show her. When something happened, I would always want to tell her about it. Even now when I see something, for half an instant my immediate thought is still to tell her.

A Creative Genius

She was very creative and full of inspiration. She loved sewing and knitting, and she also did some jewelry making, paper crafts, and other projects. Many of the designs for things she made were products of her own imagination. She and I would often consult each other regarding designs and finishes for our projects. Everything she made was beautiful. Whenever she made something, we always knew it would turn out wonderful.

She also loved cooking, especially making fancy dishes and desserts. Together we would plan dinners with components that we knew would go together. Together we tried candy recipes for the first time. We learned and discovered things together. She took the initiative for many new things, and she collected many recipes that became favorites. I will have to learn how to make many things just like she did.

She loved art. One of the things she wanted to do was draw, and we recently collected a set of drawing pencils, blending stumps, and kneaded erasers so the three of us could start formal lessons. She never got to start, though. She wanted to play the piano again, and we had been waiting for months to be able to get a new piano to play. It was only last month that they finally had one locally.

In addition to being creative, she was modest, smart, ladylike, and had a great sense of humor. We would play and joke together, and I remember her laugh. When we played games she was a great sport and a great teammate. Though she suffered from an autoimmune disease that made her life difficult, she bore it so well, never complaining about it. She immersed herself in activities and projects like any healthy person would. She always tried to live her best life, not letting her illness define her or dictate her life. She was always willing to help people and do special things for them, and she always went above and beyond in all her endeavors, never satisfied with the minimum effort.

My sister was truly special. Through everything she was and did, she enriched our lives and brought so much joy. After I started this blog, I often encouraged her to start her own to show her projects. I was so proud of her efforts and accomplishments. She never started a blog because she said she wouldn’t know what to write about. I will now take it upon myself to show her creations to the world. She added so much beauty to our lives, and I want the world to see it.