Meet Aunt JoAnn---my sister.

I have only one sister, however she is someone who has taught me so much in life, and about life. Because she is 6 years older than I am (actually 5 ½, but I round up) her knowledge of life when I was growing up was well beyond where I was at the time. I also have a brother, but this is not about him, he has been the topic of a blog already and mentioned numerous times on other days.

Meet my sister JoAnn. I would have to travel way back in time, because many of the stories are so far back that only pictures have uncovered the role she played in my life, that I really don’t remember many specifics. What I do remember, and photographs confirmed this, was how she was like a Mom to me. In pictures I would often be standing by her side and you could see she was holding my hand; the role of a big sister to a little brother can be one you either want to take on or is forced upon you---she was very willing to take on this role, it’s part of her DNA.

We actually have a lot in common…from our creative way of thinking, to our love of looking for hidden treasures at garage sales (she is more into it than I am, but it is fun) to the way we have battled such fun topics as weight and hearing issues. As they say, two out of three ain’t bad.

Besides being my big sister, JoAnn is the Aunt to my kids and my brother’s kids; of course she is also the Mom of two great sons. (I can’t call them kids because one is in his 30s and the other is leaving for college next year.)

A few summers ago, we went to visit JoAnn and her family; while we were there, she made sure our kids were going to make this a trip to remember. It included a visit to the Mall of America, nearby Lake Harriet, and to a special tree where a troll actually writes “personalized notes” to boys and girls. We also went to a special event in town where for the first time I experienced cheese curds--they were really good. One of my favorite moments from the trip is when Aunt JoAnn and one of our daughters put on “face masks”---the kind that enhance your skin, not the ones you wear on Halloween. If pictures are worth a thousand words, these were worth millions.

Move ahead a few years and Aunt JoAnn, my sister, has moved into a different role. As my Mother became ill, she became the Matriarch of our family; in this new role she provided us with the necessary handrail to move from one month to the next as my Mom’s illness progressed and to this day has continued this special role since my Mom’s passing.

One of my most special memories occurred the day my Mom passed away. My sister, who I love very much, was the one who said, “Mark, we don’t have much time, and if you are going to be able to say good bye in person, you will need to get down here right away.” At that point in time travel was not an option, but talking to my Mom via her cell phone was; for nearly 15 minutes, my sister held the phone to my Mom’s ear for me to talk with her for the last time. (When she interrupted me as I was talking to my Mom--- and I said, “I’m not done yet” she put the phone back to her ear for a few minutes.) If she had not done this, I never would have been able to say goodbye to my Mom as she died a few hours later.

The photo above was taken on April 4, 2009; on this day it was confirmed my Mom was sick. In her usual manner, JoAnn held it together and showed the love she is known for to my youngest daughter. Thanks JoAnn for being who you are and who we love so much---you are the best.

Thanks for stopping by.