Sisters: The Midwest Contingent
Today I am grateful for safe travels in the rain yesterday, and time to be with family and see some friends in my old neck of the woods. I am grateful for the time I spent visiting and sitting with my mom.
Two of the people I spent time with yesterday were my sisters Zita and Ruth. The three of us make up the Midwest contingent of the Holthaus sisters. The other five ended up moving out of state and out of the region; landing in Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska.
Zita, Ruth, and I are the closest in age. When Zita was a senior in high school, Ruth was a sophomore, and I was a freshman. I remember riding to school, the three of us, in Grandpa's sizable Oldsmobile 98, a.k.a. "The Banana." I remember a few "disagreements" in those growing up years.
Since then, though, we have been there for one another in the ways that sisters are. We've shown up for each other's kids events and activities. We've traveled together to see the rest of the sister contingent. We've seen one another through difficult times like cancer and divorce. We share what we have with one another, just like we did growing up.
We are each blessed with strong friends too, but count ourselves blessed in the sister category. We marvel at the speed at which the decades have gone. I so appreciate all of my sisters, and I am especially grateful that at least two of them are close enough that I can drive and spend a day with them.
Here we are yesterday, doing what we do, supporting each other's lives, and sharing some smiles.
Zita is on the left, I am in the middle, and Ruth is on the right.
Two of the people I spent time with yesterday were my sisters Zita and Ruth. The three of us make up the Midwest contingent of the Holthaus sisters. The other five ended up moving out of state and out of the region; landing in Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska.
Zita, Ruth, and I are the closest in age. When Zita was a senior in high school, Ruth was a sophomore, and I was a freshman. I remember riding to school, the three of us, in Grandpa's sizable Oldsmobile 98, a.k.a. "The Banana." I remember a few "disagreements" in those growing up years.
Since then, though, we have been there for one another in the ways that sisters are. We've shown up for each other's kids events and activities. We've traveled together to see the rest of the sister contingent. We've seen one another through difficult times like cancer and divorce. We share what we have with one another, just like we did growing up.
We are each blessed with strong friends too, but count ourselves blessed in the sister category. We marvel at the speed at which the decades have gone. I so appreciate all of my sisters, and I am especially grateful that at least two of them are close enough that I can drive and spend a day with them.
Here we are yesterday, doing what we do, supporting each other's lives, and sharing some smiles.
Zita is on the left, I am in the middle, and Ruth is on the right.
There is something missing though. The other five sisters would have been welcomed with open arms. It brings home the loss of our sister Mary Jo in June. The eight of us will not have a picture together again. We won't have a sisters getaway again.
But I sure look forward to when the seven who can gather in person do so. We will honor sisterhood and our sister Mary Jo wholeheartedly when we do get together. Now, we just connect across the miles in the ways we can.
Thank you Zita and Ruth, and all my sisters and brothers. I love you all, and wish we got to see more of one another.
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