Kara

🇵🇭 

I’ve known this day was coming for over a year.
She’s leaving.
To go serve with my brother-in-law as leaders of one of our church missions in the Philippines. 
They were supposed to be there by July 1 but pandemic travel restrictions pushed their departure back to this week.

We are six years apart in age.
Our birthdays are the same week.
We shared a room growing up. Two girls in the mix of four brothers. She is my older sister but she was always kind to me.
Nice to me.
Included me in the room rearranging ideas. And the plot to control the closet light with a string tied to her bed so we could read after bedtime.
I was never left out.

And she was so cool! She worked for a dentist, played the guitar, grew plants in our bedroom with long ivy-ish vines trailing around the window, set records running hurdles for the high school.
She was that kind of sister.

Then we grew up.
And we moved from the involuntary relationship of “sisters,” to the connection we chose for ourselves.
We became friends.

It’s a rare day that we don’t talk on the phone or see each other.
She has been my champion since forever.
She has been my companion since Jason died.
We cleared out the medical equipment and the clutter together.
We organized my financial estate together.
We vacation together.
We go to lunch and dinner and get treats together.
We get our steps together.
We text. We call. We Marco. But mostly we get to show up live and in person.

She’ll now be 14 hours ahead of me and 7,301 miles away.
We’ll need to text. And Marco. And call at just the right time so that we are both awake.
I’m sad that we will miss the daily in-person stuff. That is the truth.
But I’m also proud. And confident for her.
I know that she and Todd will crush this. They are hardworking and problem solvers. They are full of faith and love. They are capable and skilled for exactly what they will need to be in the Philippines.

Kara, you are my only sister.
I’ve known this day was coming for over a year.
And yet, I’m still surprised it’s here.
But don’t worry, sis. I’ll be ok.

Love you.
See you in the Phillipines!

✊🏻💙