Karen (left) and Me
My sister, Karen, was a compassionate person who cared deeply for family, friends, and animals. She had an especially tender heart towards children and the elderly and for people who were experiencing difficulties. She also had a life-long love affair with the ocean, having grown up just a few blocks from it in Connecticut. When she moved to Texas many years ago, she seldom was able to take trips to the coast, especially after she became ill. Every time she knew I was going for a sea visit, she asked me to bring back some seashells for her, and it was my delight to do that as such a small thing brought her so much joy. My sister died in August of 2009 at the age of 53, just a year ago as I write this. I miss her every day. Since I now live in Virginia Beach and can visit the ocean anytime I want, I started writing some insights the sea has given me. Occasionally, I will share them with you. Just click on this category in the sidebar of my blog, and it will list the archive of these musings.
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Seashells remind me of my childhood days because we used to live in a place that’s a stone’s throw away from the sea. I used to have a collection of seashells and the most salient ones were those that I collected from the beach in my father’s hometown, they were plenty and they came in different shapes and colors. Like your sister Karen, my father is in heaven too. He passed away 2 weeks after I graduated from college. I still collect seashells and stones every time I visit to a new island, however, nothing compares to those seashells that I used to have when I was younger.
P.S. Both of you look beautiful on the photo.
Thank you, LTF, for sharing your seashell story. I like thinking about you and your seashell collection.
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OMG! I am so flattered! I’m assuming I need to pass this on? How do I know if the bloggers I choose get less than 300 hits a day? And I have no clue how to copy and paste the award onto my sidebar. I tried it with the Versatile Blogger award and was a failure. Boo hoo. Thanks so much!
this is so beautiful… May God bless her soul
Thank you so much. I know He has already blessed her as she blessed us.
Touching post!
Your sister seems to have been an amazing person.
I live nearby the sea, like 2 minutes or so from the sea, and your post makes me think that I should appreciate the ocean more, it’s beautiful. Im going to USA for an exchangement-student stay in less than two months, and then I won’t see the ocean every day.
Wonderful blog!
Thanks so much. I think it’s common to not fully appreciate something we see every day. I was away from the ocean for thirty years, and now that I’m back, I can’t get enough of it. Thanks so much for your comment. Enjoy your visit to the U.S.
This has made me cry!
Hugs.
Why don’t you stop by for a cup of Earl Grey?
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I’m your cousin Pam’s blogging friend in Fla – very nice memoirs by you and Pam of your sister – I think a visit to you in Ct would be good for “Pammy.”
Actually, I live in Virginia Beach now, but if you can convince Pammy to visit, I’d love it! And I think she should write a blog about dealing with aging parents. A lot of people out there who could relate to that.
Karen and Susan are my cousins. Their mother was my “Aunt Dot,” the sister of my father. Most of our lives, our families lived in different states. Our parents did take us kids on vacation when we were children. I can remember our trip to Connecticut and the outdoor fun we had together. They also came to Ohio to visit us. Karen was the cutest, most bubbly child I had ever seen. After getting my driver’s license at age 16, I remember taking her to the homes of my friends; I wanted to show her off! And as I look at the picture of Susan here, I feel that I am looking into the face of my Aunt Dot. I did not realize they looked so alike! They are both so beautiful.
I wish that I could have spent some time with my cousins as an adult. Why didn’t I? What got in the way? Speaking for myself, it was just the toil and the burden of living. It consumed me so. I deprived myself of the joy that could have come from being part of the extended family. At age 65, I regret not knowing them better. I regret not going to the beach more. And I particularly regret that I never collected seashells for Karen. Pamela Johnson
We all have so many regrets, don’t we! They eat you up, if you let them. So don’t let them. You have always been Pammy to me. It’s not too late to come and visit me at the Beach!