Some things never change - A couple of months ago, my beautiful niece Jennifer discovered this poem I wrote in 1969 among her mother's belongings. I don't remember the poem, or writing it for that matter. In 1969, though, and in every other year of my life, there was never a moment when I didn't feel this sentiment. The fact that it was found among Janet's personal treasures, and that it had been saved this long, was astonishing. As a twelve year old, I thought we would both live forever. I idolized her, and knew I would have this sister, guardian, and friend continually and eternally. Physically, that did not happen. Spiritually, however, she is still a guiding force in my life. When she left us in July of 2009, every day was a struggle, and there was no moment that the realization that she was no longer at my beckon call wasn't the dominant thought. Nearly three years later, I would be lying if I said that every moment was that dark, for there are so many distractions. When I'm happy and I think of her, I can feel her smiling with me just as she did when she was here. When I'm having one of those glum moments, the feeling is more serious and intense, more reflective, and thankfully, shorter lived, and I can still feel her guiding me to the next moment. It's what she wanted. I have survived.
Today we will be together to celebrate Janet's 63rd birthday as a family at a restaurant that was one of her favorites. It goes without saying that we will always miss her terribly and wish she was still here, but even after all that has happened, she continues to be the motivation for celebration....and so we celebrate!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JANET!!
 |
| JANET 1950 |
 |
| JANET 1957 FIRST HOLY COMMUNION |
 |
| 1962 L TO R: LISA, JOE, STEPHANIE, JANET |
.jpg) |
| JANET 1968 |
 |
| JANET AND HER CHILDREN, JENNIFER AND JIM 1991 |
 |
| JANET AND JIM 1973 |
 |
| THE BONANNO FAMILY WOMEN 1989 |
 |
| THE SAME BONANNO FAMILY WOMEN- NEW YORK 2006 |
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment