My sister, she amazes me.
Growing up, she was my friend and my foe…what sister isn’t? Together, we learned to love well; compete for and against; fight hard without bruising; we learned that knives are dangerous; that friends are important, but the number of them isn’t; that she can kill it in volleyball, and I love to watch her do it; who knew that buttered popcorn jelly belly’s were actually yummy?!?; that a bowl of cereal should be eaten in the same bowl that you make a large batch of cookies; that love sometimes looks like a punch in the arm, even if it hurts; that if you tickle her neck, she secretly loves it; and that she is smarter than me, not just because she was in the Talented And Gifted program.
Nearly 10 years ago, my sister was dealt a blow that often causes people to fold under the pressure—a brain tumor.
Since, she’s taught me, and a whole lot of other people, more about stamina, persistence and strength that I may ever know. She’s endured four brain surgeries, chemo, radiation and a cocktail of drugs and natural remedies that would make your head spin—all while raising two amazing boys and being the wife to a pretty great guy. It hasn’t been easy, and there have been a lot of peaks and valleys, but she remains strong, focused, healthy as can be, fun and loveable. Yeah, that’s my sister.
Today, her 36th birthday is a celebration of life—literally. She’s beating the odds and making us all proud. I promise, that if you had the privilege of knowing her, you’d write the same things too.
Please, join me in celebrating the life of my sister. Happy birthday Charysse Hesse. I love being your brother, and I love you.
