Memories Are Made of This: Sisters are Timeless

Everyone has a special someone in their life. It might be a person who taught them about their favorite hobby. It might be a person who took them somewhere special. It might be a person who gave them things like no one else ever gave them. Often your special person isn't the someone others were expecting.

I am one of those fortunate enough to have many special people in my life. But there is one special person in my life who has made a unique impact on me. She passed away this year. Despite all the comments about how old she was and how she had a great life and that she died peacefully, I felt a sorrow at her passing that is inexplicable. I loved my Aunt Jessie in a way that others may never understand.

Jessie was one of the most elegant ladies I ever knew. From as far back as I can remember, I thought she was beautiful, stately, well-spoken, and kind. She had a regal-ness about her. I held her in the highest regard.

Jessie loved her family to a fault. Sometimes we wondered why she did certain things....or rather, why she DIDN'T do certain things. I think Jessie was more like Jesus than most people I know. ("Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:4).

She chose to put others before herself at all times and at any cost. If you were family and you needed something, Jessie was definitely your go-to person!

The best part about Jessie was her humbleness. She didn't need or expect to be thanked for the things she did. She truly did not understand why anyone would want to thank her. In her mind, she was simply doing what she was put on earth to do.
My mom truly looked up to her older sister. I know this because Mom credits a lot of her blessings to Jessie. I also know this because Mom couldn't help but be influenced by this wonderful woman. You see, my mom is really like Jessie in so many ways. Especially those ways that are kind and generous and good.

I think sisters have a bond that is only understood by sisters. I know my sister and I shared that bond. As much as we might have been different in some ways, we had a common thread that held us together. There are things only a sister needs to know and there are times when only a sister can be your go-to person.

When Martha married Bob, I was the Matron-of-Honor. It was my first time to be given that honorable title. So, at the wedding reception, I chose to make a toast to the newlyweds. In my toast I quoted the framed saying that I had given to Martha some years prior. This saying has hung in both our homes, as she also gave it to me. Today it has a place of honor in my kitchen. It goes like this:

We shared many secrets,

the same Mom and Dad.

We shared lots of good times.

Don't think of the bad.

Our memories we'll cherish,

with love without end.

I'm glad you're my sister...

I'm glad you're my friend.

I don't think Mom and Jessie had this hanging in their homes, but I'm sure they shared the sentiment.

I started this blog to record the stories behind the things in Mom's home. Jessie is the reason behind several of them, but the one I wanted to write about is a clock. This clock is very ornate. It is porcelain and PINK. I think that is why I was so attracted to it as a young girl. You see, pink was (and still is) my favorite color.

Growing up, my bedroom was painted pink. My little personal bathroom had a pink sink, pink toilet, and pink tiles...on the walls and in the shower. And the best part of this, Jessie and her husband had the house built that I grew up in. Sometimes I feel guilty about that house. Mom always wanted to build her dream home. She and Daddy bought a lot. They planted pine trees on that lot. They had an architect draw up plans for the house that was going to be built on that lot. Poor Mom lost out on that dream. Jessie and her husband were going to put their house on the market and move to a different location in Shelby. Martha, Daddy and I begged Mom to buy Jessie's house. We loved it. I thought it was beautiful and elegant like Jessie, and I remembered so many good times in that house. Plus, at 8 years old, building a new house meant nothing to me. Moving into Jessie's house...now that was SOMETHING! So, Mom being a sport, gave in to our requests, gave up building her dream home, and we all lived happily ever after on Ridgeview Drive. The stories I could tell about those years are countless!

When Jessie's husband passed away, she stayed with us for a while....in the very house that they had built and lived in for many years. Jessie shared my pink bedroom with me. I had twin beds and I was more than thrilled to be having a long sleepover with this woman whom I admired and loved so very much. I had never shared a bedroom before except for a week at summer camp, so this was a new adventure for me!

But back to Jessie and the clock. I really loved the clock. It had so much to look at! I thought it was elegant. And did I mention, it was pink? I commented on it every time I went to visit Jessie. Being Jessie, she remembered how much I loved the clock, so when she had to move out of her home and into a retirement home, she told me to take the clock. She told me it was mine. She said it had been mine since I first admired it. Wow. That is incredibly special.

So, I packed up the clock. It was bittersweet. I was thrilled to be the owner of this clock, but I was sad that the reason it was now mine was because Jessie was moving and had to downsize....do away with some of her things. But you know, Jessie never cared about things. I don't really care about things either, but I am glad the clock is mine. It is a forever reminder to me of Jessie. It reminds me of the times I visited her and commented on the beautiful clock in her living room.

This clock now resides in Mom's living room. When I was given the clock by Jessie, I realized how much it didn't "go" in my Florida home. I also realized how difficult it would be to transport to Florida. But mostly I realized how it looked like it was made for Mom's living room! We agreed that this would be its home until I was ready for it. It looks perfect and beautiful in Mom's living room. I still think of Jessie every time I see it. I know one day I will transport it to Florida. And I promise, it will find a place in my home even if it has to sit next to a statute of a pelican or a heron. After all, it is a piece of me and my history. It is a reminder of sisters and what is really important in life.

I've always heard that good art doesn't have to match the sofa. Well, who's to say that a beautiful ornate clock has to match its surroundings?

One day, I am hoping that Madeline or Jimmy or Joseph might want this clock. It is not only a timepiece, but it and its sentiment are timeless.

And memories are made of this.