JOHN'S SISTER JOINS HIM

          The old guard keeps falling to the wayside. John’s sister, Georgia, passed away Monday morning. I’ve written about Georgia and her husband in previous posts and believe I indicated that for a while there, the brother and sister seemed to be having a race as to who would leave the world first. Depending on how you look at it, John won because he was first, or Georgia won because she was last.

When Gordy called me that afternoon to let me know Georgia was gone, my phone registered her name, not his, and somehow, I managed to hang up while trying to answer. I called back and he answered and I said I was calling Georgia back because she’d just called and I hung up on her. He wasn’t expecting that and it led to tears. I felt very bad. He said he’d left a message on the land line, but I’d been outside all morning and hardly ever check those messages.

I told Gordy how sorry I was, that it wouldn’t matter what I said or did, it really wouldn’t help. I also told him I wasn’t going to say it will get better, because it doesn’t really. Then we chatted about how John and Georgia were probably interacting wherever they are.

          “Ha ha, I got here first,” says John.

“I don’t care. I got to stay longer,” Georgia replies

But beneath all that, I know that John is both sad and happy to see her. I also know Georgia was glad to know he was there and to walk into his open and loving arms.  

I counted up and it’s been one day short of nine months since John died. Gordy got an additional nine months. He got to have her at home, see her every day, and be by her bedside when she passed. He was nine months luckier than me.

For me, though, it’s sad, it hurts, it leaves another huge hole in my life. Sure, it’s all part of life, of living, but, goshdarnit, it doesn’t get any easier. It brought back the pain I’ve spent nine months trying to cure. Still, I can hear John saying, “Sister,” the way he always did when he phoned her. I can see them together, smiling and laughing and talking about us…that does bring a certain amount of comfort to me.