Same day, five years apart. The first was a few months after her twin sister died. The second was today.
In the first picture I see her looking a little bedraggled, a little afraid. A girl not sure where she stands in this world. We were cleaning out the apartment she had shared with her sister for decades, and she would be permanently living with her mother. She had not yet regained her footing, or more likely, had never found it in the first place. She had that “deer in the headlights” look about her.
By the second, taken today, she has a sincere look of confidence that I would have never thought possible. Never mind the little boo boo on her chin, which she accomplished by biffing it on the carpet in the middle of the night. Even with that, what she has become in the past five years, or even the past two since her mother’s death, has been nothing short of amazing. You can see it in her face, in her eyes, in her smile. She has courage and determination.
She hadn’t in the past had the opportunity to fully blossom. But, it’s never too late to show the world what you are made of.
We could all learn a thing or two from her.
So true and beautifully written. At lot of the credit can be given to you Karen, Tom, Barb and Jeri for all your dedication to her.