Siblings

Back in February, my little friends, Marlea, 5, and Anna, 14 months, lost their sister, Kira, 3, to a sudden illness. Marlea, the big sister, has been lost without her playmate and Anna, has found herself in a new roll as "the second child." I was priviledged to watch these three girls play together, interact, develop rolls and responsibilities toward each other and to others. They were quite the trio, each seemingly incomplete without the other. Now that Kira is in heaven, the girls do feel incomplete. Are they now 2 sisters or still part of that trio? Do they play differently because Kira is not there or do they keep their ways? Will they act and develop differently toward the world because Kira is not there to learn from?

I know I learned so much from being a little sister with a big brother and it plays (present tense) a huge roll in who I am. While Mike and I no longer "played" together like we did when we were kids, we played off of each other in the rolls we learned growing up together. I hurt for my little friends as they seek to become new people without their sister.

I don't want a new roll in life without my brother. I don't want Marlea and Anna to be without Kira. I liked so much who we all were when we were complete.

Shortly after Mike died, I had a sudden, vivd image of him grabbing up Kira and holding her up high in the air, over his head. The pair were laughing with thier big grins, in total delight of one another. They never had the chance to meet here. They are playing together in heaven.

I don't like them not being here. I am glad they have each other up there.

I don't mind that new roll, so much. I get to share my big brother with that little girl. I hope, someday, the girls left behind, will find comfort in that thought.