Let Her Know You Care

With apologies to Joyce for not posting this yesterday due to a thunderstorm (my computer goes off to save it from frying) and to Terri for pushing her post down. When you read 'tomorrow,' think 'today.' Thanks. ~Marsha

by Joyce DiPastena

Tomorrow is a special day. Two years ago, my sister and I were sealed in the temple to my parents. My mother grew up a faithful LDS member, and raised all her children in the Church. My father, however, remained Catholic to the end of his life. Yes, he listened to the missionary lessons. He even attended Sunday School briefly with my mother before I was born. He didn’t smoke. I can count on my fingers the number of times I saw him drink (never more than one beer at a time). Occasionally he indulged in a cup of coffee, but it was not something we grew up regularly with in our house. My mother “broke him” early of taking the Lord’s name in vain, and she wouldn’t let him swear, either. He was a good man, and worked hard to provide for his family. But he never fully accepted the gospel in this life.

He died in 2002, following my mother who had passed away two years before. In 2005, I flew to Salt Lake City to visit my sister. Together, we drove down to the temple at St George. And there, after waiting 47 years (my sister a little longer), she and I were sealed to our parents, with my aunt (mother’s sister) standing proxy for my mom. An unforgettable day! A day I had wept and longed for. At last, we, too, were encircled by the Lord’s promises. We, too, were an eternal family.

Yes, tomorrow is a special day. No, it is not the anniversary of our sealing to our parents. That happened in June 2005. Tomorrow, September 7th, is Sisters Day! And on the same day that I was sealed to my parents as their daughter, I became sealed to my sister, too.

Being sisters wasn’t always smooth sailing. As the “little sister”, I think I was in high school before I realized I wasn’t absolutely obligated to obey every time she or my brother commanded me to change the TV channel (before remote control) or fetch them a Kleenex. And there was that blowup about changing a light bulb in the dorm room my sister and I shared my first semester at the University of Arizona. (Suffice it to say, the first line of Proverb 15:1 doesn’t work with everyone.)

But when our high school band went on a trip to Disneyland, she spent the entire day with me there. A big, important high school senior, unashamed to be seen with her freshman sister! That meant the world to me. As did all the other times she included me, when she could easily have told me to quit bugging her and her friends…but she didn’t.

Today, she is more than my best friend. She is truly my Forever Sister. How grateful I am for a priesthood power that gives me an opportunity, not only to keep my parents for eternity, but to continue to enjoy my sister’s love and companionship, as well.

Yes, tomorrow is a special day. Even as Marsha is kind enough to post this for me, I am in Salt Lake City, once again visiting my sister. Appropriately enough, this year we will be sharing Sister’s Day together. Perhaps we will go see the new Harry Potter movie. Or maybe I’ll introduce her to the Ikea in Draper, Utah. Maybe she’ll help me buy some new shoes. Or we may go back to the Rodizio Grill and enjoy some more of those mouth watering skewers bearing sirloin steak and glazed pineapple.

Do you have a sister? If so, let her know you love her this Sisters Day!