MY SISTER’S PASSING
The sun was setting across the clearing, its pink and yellow rays reaching out to touch the trees alongside as if in final farewell. Jackie took a deep breath, emitting a small cough as the last of the air reached her lungs. Even her lungs were unable to stave off what was coming. She had known for a while, long before the doctor diagnosed it, bringing it into the light for all to see.
A tear fell upon her cheek as she realized how much she had wanted to take back her life, to make decisions that weren't about making someone else's life work. Her kids were grown with families of their own, and yet, they never seemed to let her go. It was her fault. She knew this. Needing to be needed had been her flaw. Unfortunately, it had left little room for a life of her own.
Wrapping her arms around her knees, she pulled them close to her chest, resting her chin on them. Staring at the last remnants of the sun, she mulled over the dreams she had had as a child. As a chill wind blew past, she shuddered, more in response to the realization that those dreams had been the last time she had let her own heart soar. An uncertainty, a fear of the unknown, had wrapped itself around her heart while she was still in high school. Everything that followed in her life had been given birth through this fear. She was sure that this cancer was also the offspring of this lifelong companion.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Jackie felt a lightness of spirit. It was over. No more worrying. No more self-recriminations. A calmness flowed over her unlike any she could remember. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see her sister lowering herself to the ground beside her. The dried tear tracks on her sister's face were evident as her arm slipped around Jackie, trying to comfort her. It was an unusual turn of events for Jackie, for she knew that her strong, confident sister was seeking nothing from her.
For the first time in her life, Jackie felt a certainty about life even as death loomed near. Putting her arms around her sister, she spoke quietly in her ear, "Everything is going to be all right," knowing that those words would bring comfort to them both.
Love you, Dannye