Friday, September 2, 2016
Memories
Joanie was my big sister, my friend, my confidant. I could fill a book with memories of our lives growing up together as little girls in Miami, and later as adults, living and raising our families in South Florida. She was someone you could always go to when you needed someone to talk to, because she was such a loving, caring person.
Some of my favorite childhood memories growing up with her was our Saturday night dinner and movies with Mom and Daddy in downtown Miami. Sometimes we would walk down to Bayfront Park and watch all the boats at the pier. Then there were those special holidays we looked forward to like the 4th of July when we would go to the American Legion Post for a picnic and fireworks. The Orange Bowl Parades, the carnival rides on Burdines' rooftop in downtown Miami at Christmas time were always our favorite.
We took piano lessons from our Sunday school teacher Mrs. Marsh who sometimes had Joan and I play the piano for the kids' Sunday school classes. Calvary Baptist is where we attended church each week. It's also the same church in which Mom and Daddy were married, and where we were baptized.
We were raised in a household that everyone participate in household chores, and babysitting was added to that when younger siblings Bonnie and Joey came along. Of course there were times we would try to weasel out of that one - if we could.
Joan and I attended Citrus Grove Elementary and later Miami Jackson High. After graduation from high school she worked for Southern Bell as an overseas operator and continued working there until she started raising her family. She chose to be a stay at home mom with Craig and Troy and later assisted Jim as Secretary/Treasurer for B & B Hydraulics.
We didn't always have a lot growing up, but we always had fun. We didn't need a lot to enjoy life as it was then. Our family was close and we did things together, even if it was just an evening ride in Daddy's car to go visit our cousins.
There are too many memories to list, not just as children, but also as adults. Family gatherings at Joan and Jim's, the holidays, the New Years' Eve parties, our children's birthday parties.
Always sharing stories about our families, our lives, our pets, whatever we needed to share. That's what sisters do. That's what I'll miss.
We played together and we prayed together.
Rest in Peace Joanie.
I'll miss you.