My Sister - update

My sister left the hospital today. Whew. There were some very anxious hours for my mother and my niece when my sister suffered serious post-surgical complications that landed her in the ICU.

However, my sister is one tough cookie, and I am in awe of her resilience. She has suffered a 100 times more blows (both literal and figurative) than I have, and yet she continues to surprise us all by picking herself up, dusting herself off, and living to fight another day. She is an inspiration.

I've had it easy, I think. I've lived a charmed life and things have mostly gone very well for me. She's had a much harder time of things and sometimes resented living in my shadow. I was the more conservative (i.e. cautious) one, the "good girl"; while she tested the limits at every turn - often with unfortunate results. We didn't get along when we were younger, but as we've grown older we've come to appreciate each other's gifts and unique paths. We now have a very close bond and I've shared secrets with her that I've shared with no other. I admire her courage and tenacity in the face of adversity, and she is happy that I've broken free of self-imposed constraints.

I spoke to her on the phone via Skype and was relieved to hear her sounding much better. She reiterated her wish to see me follow my dreams here in Paris. She reminded me that in following my own dreams I am an inspiration to others to do the same. So it is with her blessing that I enjoy my stay in Paris.

Here is a picture of the four of us:

I'm the oldest and that's my spunky sister on the far right.

I love you, Jan, and wish you a speedy recovery!