Saturday, October 20, 2012

FOR SUSAN

My sister died the first of this month. This is for her.


What can I say about Suzie?  She had angels, three. I’m sure she is with them now, helping them organize white robes and halos in labelled boxes as only she could. She promised to stay with the angels to bring all of her loved ones up, one at a time to join her. Of course, being Susan, she planned to snatch us one by one.

Susan was a fierce protector of her loved ones and of her students. She had courage beyond the normal. Who else would have travelled half-way across the world, alone; to snatch the man she loved from Iran and bring him back with her?


When Susan was first diagnosed with cancer, she took the news calmly. But she was determined to fight the disease and win. Susan won for a while. For many years she managed her illness and lived five years in spite of the diseases attempts to win. She did so with elegance and grace, as she did everything.


The Susan I grew up with was snarky, smart and funny. She loved cats and Yul Brynner (a fact only appreciated by those of us old enough to fall in love with the bald king in The King and I. Don’t tell anyone, we thought he was better than Elvis.) She was a perfectionist, devastated by any grade under an A. She spent hours on her eyelashes, expecting perfection from them also, and she got it. Nothing and no one defied Susan if she wanted something.

Susan’s Soraya is a combination of the best of Mike and Susan and the two of them took care of her, with the help of Mollie the Cat, brought her home for as long as possible devoted their lives to her.

I’m going to miss my sister, the person who knew me when I was young, my biggest fan, who loved my books, hung my paintings in her house. She knew all my secrets and took them with her. Whether our conversations took place minutes apart, days or months, it was as if we had just paused for a minute.

I will so miss that person who knew me best, shared a sense of humour, love of cats, books, and family. My best friend, little sister Suzie, will be waiting for me to join her and finish that last conversation.
 

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so very sorry for your loss, Carol. And I wish that I'd known your sister--if she was anything like you, I would have adored her, too.

crazybooklover said...

I'm sorry for your loss