My sister…the heroine!

A heroine is a woman who is admired for great strength, courage, achievements, and noble qualities.

How did she do it? It was a great effort and struggle, very demanding at times, frustrating, and sometimes very difficult. Yet, it was her love and devotion that she had learned in her family that carried her through all the years of caring for our mother. Annette is the heroine of our family!

Mom lived a long time, 98 years, and my sister, Annette, lived with her for many years. To add to it, mom lost her hearing many years before she passed away. Annette would do a lot of yelling and then do it again, and then maybe again. Mom not only lived a long time, but she was relatively healthy and on the go. This meant that Annette was also required to be on the go. She accompanied her to the store, to doctors’ appointments, to church, and maybe some occasional shopping. Mom was an incredible cook, so Annette also has become an amazing cook. Mom loved plants and gardening and would work in her gardens, so Annette also fell in love with plants and gardening. All along the way, my sister was caring for mom, mom was caring for Annette and instilling in her these noble and wonderful qualities of being a devoted and loving daughter and caretaker.

I know Annette would tell you that there were some difficult and stressful times. She may even admit there were a few days they both wished they were somewhere else. But, I also know Annette loved her dearly and cherished every moment God gave her with mom. She learned so much and has become like mom in so many ways. She is a heroine, and our family is so indebted to her for all the minutes, hours, days, months, and years that she cared for mom.

She was amazing…she is amazing. We will miss mom’s strength and will to live, but we still see it. She is with us, and she is my sister, a rock…the heroine of our family.