Nine Years Too Long...

Nine years ago tomorrow, my sister lost her battle with leukemia. Maybe the world wide web has a route to heaven so she can read this.  

Dear Jessica,

           

            Not a day goes by that we don’t think about you and wish you were still here.  I can’t believe that it has been almost a decade since I last saw your smiling face. Some days it feels like it has been forever. We have celebrated nine Christmases without you, nine New Years, nine Easters, nine winters, nine springs, nine summers and nine falls. We have lost more loved ones in that time and more loved ones have come into this world.

            Your first niece Ruby, just turned two. You would absolutely adore her. Tonight she was running around acting crazy when mom was over and mom quickly remarked, “She acts exactly like your sister used to.” It made me smile… although I hope she doesn’t act just like you. ;) Ruby and I talk about you often. She will grow up knowing how great of a person you were. Over the years I will share with her all of my favorite memories of you. I will tell her how you beat up the kid who threw worms in my hair. We will talk about how you helped the elderly woman who was hit by a car. I will tell her how I was in my first car accident with you while you were test-driving and totaling the red Camero. I have so many memories that I will never forget.

            You would be happy to know that we still keep in touch with your best friends. Every year we participate in the “Light the Night” walk to raise money for the National Leukemia and Lymphoma society. You would love that we make such a big deal about how special you were. Also, on your birthday, our family and your close friends go out to dinner and reminisce about all of your shenanigans. Most of your friends are married now and have families of their own. It's a bittersweet feeling sometimes because I wish you were here with a family of your own. Your friends mean so much to our family and we are grateful that they are still a part of our lives.

            You will always be an inspiration to me. You showed a tremendous amount of courage when you were sick and never once complained. I have never seen such a fighter. Whenever something tough is going on in my life, I think about what you went through and know that I can get through anything. Thank you for all that you did for me and taught me. You are always in my heart and I love you Jessie Bear.

Love,

Your Little Sister