THE GIFT
Mary came into my life and became the unexpected catalyst that changed me forever. My sister. My wing man. My friend.
We were unlikely peers from the start - a prissy church girl and a charming co-ed - still, she stood by my side as I married her big brother. I had come to that altar expecting a lifetime of love with my husband alone, but God left an unexpected treasure on the gift table that day - the privilege of sister Mary bearing witness to it all.
We soon became young mothers. Side by side, we changed diapers, blew up balloons, mashed potatoes and passed juice boxes as we scolded giggling cousins. True, it sometimes felt endless - this chaos of hushing shrieks, draining bathtubs and wiping off sticky fingers, but ordinary days spent with Mary made for an extraordinary life.
While the sunny days connected us in laughter, the darkest days melded our souls. For when words of comfort could not be uttered, we spoke with silent, squeezing hands and held each other’s gaze. Pacing hospital corridors with desperate prayers may be what documented Mary’s life, but she refused to let it dictate.
Shoulder to shoulder, we pressed on to see dreams come true on graduation stages, petal-strewn aisles and wrapped in the sassiest shade of pink. Never more than an arm’s length away, we shared life’s best and worst moments over endless cups of coffee poured with heavy cream and light hearts, because time with Mary was time well spent.
It wasn’t until I was carrying my dear sister to her grave that I felt the full weight of all she was to me. Together, we had lived and breathed a whole lifetime. What greater purpose could one life fulfill for another?
For if a soul’s deepest longing is to know and be known, Mary was that gift to me. In her eyes, I saw a reflection of the person I once was and the one I had come to be.
I am who I am today because a girl named Mary lived, laughed, and loved, by my side.
Keep a pot brewing for us, Sis. We have an eternity still to share.
Love one another the way I loved you.This is the very best way to love Put your life on the line for your friends.
John 15:12 msg