My Sister, My Friend

Mary Catherine with her granddaugher, Gigi

 

Just 5 minutes: no edits, no rewrites, why? Cause it's Five Minute Friday over here ...
http://lisajobaker.com/

Start:

I often write about my husband and my kids but I do not often write about the family I grew up with except today. It's different, because today is my oldest sister, Mary Catherine's, birthday. May 3rd is a day each year I pick up the phone and sing Happy Birthday to my sister. We both laugh and then check in with one another.

My oldest sister has been more than a sister. She has been a friend, a mentor and at times my mom. She was the one I took the phone call from the day my mother was killed suddenly in a car accident. She wanted me to be brave ... she wanted me to possess and exhibit courage the next few days as we planned the service to honor my mom and who she was.

It was just two weeks after I heard of my mother's death that I found out I was pregnant with our first child. When our daughter Lisa was born I did not know all there was to know about being a mom and taking care of a baby but .... my sister Mary Catherine knew. She was a wonderful mom, loving and compassionate. It seems that many things I would experience in the years to come would call me to be brave, to exhibit courage .... I'm grateful for my sister, my friend, my mentor and at times my mom! Happy Birthday Mary Catherine!

Stop:

Linking up and love this quote from Lisa Jo's post "Brave is a whisper some days and others its a battle cry."