Sabrina…

June 27th, 2010….

Ten years ago today my baby sister passed away…  she was only 16 when she fell off a cliff to her death…  one minute she was with us, the next she was gone.  I thank God everyday for blessing me with those 16 years I had her with me…

In 1998, I went to Arizona to visit my family.  It was my father’s 50th birthday so I took a week to spend it with him, Mom and Sabrina.  The day I was to fly back home was the day before Sabrina’s first day of high school.  I decided to change my flight and stay one extra day, she wanted me to help her ‘get ready’ for school on her first day.  I can remember how she fussed over exactly what to wear…  She talked for hours on the phone with her friends to decide exactly where they would meet in front of the school…  She was so excited yet somewhat nervous.  I figured one more day away from my children was worth helping her get off to school on that very important first day…

By 6am on that first day of high school, Sabrina was wide awake and standing over my bed nudging me to wake up.  I stumbled out of bed and got some tea while Sabrina went to the shower.  After her shower, she joined me on the back porch that wrapped around the entire home… she had coffee in her hand.  The sight of my baby sister drinking coffee brought a smile to my face.  I wondered if she thought that was the grown up thing to do on the first day of high school…

Sabrina disappeared in the house to finish getting ready. I found my way to the kitchen to make her breakfast.  With eggs and toast in hand, I stepped in Sabrina’s room to find her sitting at her vanity looking annoyed.  I asked what was wrong and she told me that she couldn’t do a damned thing with her hair.  I spent the next half hour blow drying and straightening that super think long brown hair that hung nearly to her butt!!  No wonder why she was annoyed, I thought…

Three changes of clothes and five make-up ‘checks’ later, Sabrina was ready to leave.  Mom was awake by this time and all three of us headed out the door to get Sabrina to school…

Her friends waited in front of Benson High School for her as planned.  Sabrina hurried out of the car then stopped before walking away.  Mom had driven and I was sitting in the back seat.  Sabrina opened my door and told me to get out and sit up front.  As I stood up out of the car she threw her arms around my neck.  I hugged her tight and she whispered ‘thanks sis’.  “Oh, it’s only hair I did darling, don’t thank me” I said.  “I’m not thanking you for the hair job sis, I’m thanking you for giving me one more day” she kissed my cheek and turned running towards her friends.  I made Mom sit in that car rider line of cars until I couldn’t see her through the crowd of kids any longer…

Her thanking me for giving her one more simple day had touched me deeply.  She needed me that day and I was more than grateful God had blessed me in ways that I was able to give that to her.

Two years later at Sabrina’s funeral… the funeral director was responsible for the music played.  He had asked if we had a preference in music, our numb minds left the choice of music up to him.  Sabrina’s casket had been placed in the Hearst.  Hundreds of teenagers stood in the parking lot of the church waiting for the funeral procession.  I sat in the front pew staring at where my sister’s casket stood moments before.  Music was still playing throughout the church.  The song “One More Day” by Diamond Rio came through the speakers…  I simply smiled as tears rolled down my face and I thought of those last words she was able to say to me physically…

“I’m not thanking you for the hair job sis, I’m thanking you for giving me one more day”

As I sit today and thank God for those sixteen years He gave me with my sister Sabrina, I can’t help but wish I had one more day with her…

more about Sabrina