My new years resolution this year was to let everyone in my family know how much they mean to me. One by one I am letting them know. This one is for my sister Joan.


To my sister Joan (sounds like JoAnn),


I Love you.
We don't always agree on what we are both doing in our lives, but isn't that the way it is supposed to be? If we agreed on everything how boring would that be!
When I think of you I think of;
Playing Barbie's outside on Piedmont St. outside behind the bushes, underneath your bedroom window.
MY dawn doll (lol).
You sleeping with me when we where little and you where scared.
Laying on the floor our head resting in our hands, in front of my record player, listening to the Beatles, the Stones, The Hermits.
You locking yourself in the bathroom, and Jimbo lifting me up and in the bathroom window so I could unlock the door.
The look on your face that day as things transpired that I went to go live with my Dad.
The look on your face when we found each other again many years later, standing there in the door of the newspaper office. You where all grown up.
The excitement of catching up on what had happened in our lives the time we where apart.
Drum Major Joan!
Making our own recordings in Shreveport at the mall and everyone's face as they stopped to listen to you sing Anita Baker. I was so proud.
How strong you where when mom died at her funeral. We all thought it would be you that broke down not me. Wrong.
Chocolate Ice cream - because chocolate is soothing to my soul and who doesn't like ice cream!
You out in front of my Shreveport home packed up for your journey to Atlanta, your first really big move on your own. U-Haul packed, car in tow.


With out you these memories, (and ones we will have in the future) would not have been possible. I wouldn't trade them for the world. Although if I could turn back time, (insert Cher singing here), I would try to change the years we where apart. How? I am not sure as those events were really out of both of our hands.


Because I love you I have to add:


Always take care of yourself, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. If you don't, no one else will be able to assist you at these tasks.
Keep your spirits up. Things could be worse. We could live overseas.