Sunday, April 29, 2018

My Sister

Here is yet another monumental gratitude post, this time to my sister; one of the most amazing women I know. Since both my siblings are older, they have served as role models to me, each in their own special way.

An avid language enthusiast, my sister not only speaks French like a frenchwoman, but has successfully raised a francophone family in the midwestern United States. As our own parents can surely attest, cultivating bilingualism in a country outside the language-culture can be challenging, and her dedication is an inspiration to me. 

There are so many things I am grateful to my sister for, and I know that there is no list I could write that would ever be complete. Below is my attempt, although I know I will think of many more things afterward 😊

Sister, I am grateful to you for:
Your laughter. It brings joy to my heart, and I love trying to make you laugh as often as possible when we are together.
The love of puns that you have bestowed upon me, since I was a little pipsqueak playing around in your room. Bonus for bilingual and even trilingual puns! 😀
The loyalty, thoughtfulness, and caring you show for friends and family.
Your wholehearted support for me and my personal goals- including this current adventure into living a grateful life. No one has read and acknowledged my posts more than you! 
The strength and awareness you demonstrated during your pregnancies. I am certain that the knowledge you shared with me made my own pregnancy and birth experience so much more empowering and less scary than it would have been otherwise. 
Your love of beauty and willingness to stop and appreciate it. 
Your strong sense of fairness, justice, and advocacy for freedom of thought and expression. 
Your empathy and support as I stumbled through- and eventually learned to navigate- early motherhood.   
The way you lead by example as an amazing mother.
Your genuine curiosity for learning about other cultures and people's life experiences.
Your delicious baked creations- and willingness to share 😁
The sweet and thoughtful handwritten cards you send on every occasion. 
The love and affection you shower on your niece, our little lotus blossom.
The physical and mental endurance of your running practice, and how it inspires others.
Your strong sense of existing for and working towards a higher purpose in life.  

Last of all, I am so grateful for . . . your gratitude! All my life you have told me how grateful you are for me, the late little surprise of our family. The many times you have expressed joy at my existence is second only to that conveyed by our mother, and that is saying a lot! From the time I was a little girl, your words have made me feel so very loved- and I will be forever grateful. 

Thank you so much Elke (meine beste 'Schwest'), Ich liebe dich! 💕
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This post is part of the daily gratitude practice I am working to develop during 2018. You can read all about it at ByChanceBuddhism!
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May all beings be happy!

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