29 years ago today my sister, Linda, died from Cystic Fibrosis (CF), a nasty genetic disease that affects the lungs and pancreas. Today there are medications that help CF patients live more comfortably and longer...but it's always fatal. Linda was only 11 years old.
Linda was an "old soul", mature way beyond her years. She endured her life-long illness with a tremendous amount of patience. She made friends everywhere she went. She was unusually intelligent and had a quick, cute sense of humor. She was a good artist and was so careful about details, even at a young age. Every year our school, Sunset Lane Elementary (later changed to Trimmer Elementary) held a Spring Fling to raise funds. I believe 4th grade students all made posters and a winning poster was chosen. Linda's was chosen as the winning poster and hung in the school with a ribbon on it. She also made a map of the world out of some homemade, salty clay. I remember it looking absolutely perfect and I know it's still at my parents' house.
She was my older sister but she was much smaller than me and I felt protective of her, at least that I remember. One time at our bus stop a neighbor girl was teasing her. I got right up in her face and told her if she kept it up she'd get a fat lip from me. She said if that happened she'd go get her mother. I told her that would be fine, I'd be happy to tell her mother how she'd been treating my sister and that actually, maybe we should go get her mother
NOW. She left Linda alone after that.
Some wonderful teachers at our school dedicated several books in Linda's memory to the school library. I used to check those books out of the library just so I could have them to myself. I think they were "All About Horses" and "A Very Young Skater" but I could be wrong about that. After all, it's been a while.
I wonder what she would be like now had she not died. I wonder where she would have lived and what friends she would have. But life is really hard and sometimes I wonder if she isn't actually better off being where she is. For sure, she's spending time with our dad and I know he couldn't be happier about that. Linda, you're loved and missed.
