Trudy’s Birthday – also Earth Day

It’s difficult to remember Trudy today with the lightness of the Spring in which she arrived.  It has not been long enough for me to forget the physical torture and emotional languish of her battles with cancer and heart breaks.  I also can not dismiss the roles I played in the later – I was a joy and a thorn at times in the life of my sister.  

I hope to find and wear today a pin that I gave Trudy one birthday; it’s in the shape of the Earth and has the word F-R-A-G-I-L-E embedded into its metal.  It is almost perfect for Trudy since her birthday is also Earth Day – an appropriate coincidence missed by none that knew her.

But, as much as she loved nature with bunnies, and insects, and bugs and butterflies,Trudy loved people most – of all ages, walks, colors, economic means, countries, religions, sexual preferences.  She loved what she saw in our hearts – past the guarded, damaged public faces and into the souls of our character and destiny as artists, leaders, friends, teachers, preachers, parents, wives and yes, even sisters.  She saw that no matter what, goodness reigned even if muddied and tattered by a lack of love – either given or received as child or adult.

Trudy encouraged us to try when defeat looked the gravest, and believed in God’s love for us above and beyond, way beyond our mistakes or misgivings, failures or shortcomings, faith declared or doubted.

And Trudy believed in us.  She believed in us with undying enthusiasm for our goodness and our ability to create positive beauty – in art, in learning, in relationships, in faith, in friendships, and on our Earth. 

So if I can not find the pin, maybe I can wear enthusiasm for our Earth today – its beauty, its people.  And if I need to cry for myself for missing my sister, I can bring it home at the end of the day after a day is well spent in the sunshine of April. 

2 thoughts on “Trudy’s Birthday – also Earth Day

  1. All so true. Her belief in us…in all of us…is part of what made her such a wonderful teacher.

    Trudy was an exceptional human being. She is dearly missed. And so many were fortunate to have her encouragement.

  2. What a lovely tribute to your sister. (And sisterhood — a complicated relationship indeed.) I look forward to learning more about her…

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