This is a Tribute to My Big Sister

This is a tribute to my big sister

This is  dedicated to my big sister Gwen Nichols on February 26, 2016. Gwen thank you for the things you taught me. You taught me about humanity, then you asked me where would we be without humanitarian that have the courage and the willingness  to help improve the welfare, and well being of others people in this world.

Today my sister exposed me too so many different  emotions. They ranged from fear, to peace, from peace to joy and from joy to tears, from tears to laughter, from laughter to sympathy, from sympathy to empathy. Just having a honest understanding of my feelings with others in the quiet room opened a dialog that brought peace into that quiet room. I was there, at the same place and at the same time she was there. I was in a  room all day long, and  my big sister was in a different room but she was not alone.  I stayed there into  the night hoping that she would be alright.  I saw a lot of love expressed from family and friends.  I saw so many different expressions on the faces of everyone in the room; as I paced back and fourth from one end to the other end of the room. We each had our moments,  considering what we were going through. We  handled it all as best as we could,  each one in his or her own way. We stuck together and we begin to pray and that’s how we made it through the day.  

I felt I  had  a good  understanding of empathy. I possessed the ability to understand the feelings  other people. I understood their feelings because  I had many of the same experiences.
 My sister let me know today that when I , wrote these previous columns several days ago that it was not over, I had not finished yet. I could not close it out and end it  like it was. I thought it was finished but apparently it was not. It was not quite finished, my big sister said that’s not how it ends.  For some reason I did not publish this page. Big Sister was  in her own way saying wait a minute, your not done yet you still have something else to say.

I stated just a few days ago that I know how you feel. I believed what I was saying was totally real. My Big sister wanted  me to know  that there was  another experience, that I have not experienced yet. I did not have a choice in this, but I had to buckle up for this ride.   I was going through what I was going through because it required me to put myself in some one else shoes.
This was the only way  for me  to understand by  standing in someone else shoes. I can hear my sister say my brother when you put  yourself in some one else shoes, then you can say I know how you feel.
Gwen I heard you when you said not so fast ,here’s a learning  experience you have not had. I hear you big sister you made it very clear,empathy is a much deeper emotion the feeling are more intense and this one was a new emotion for me. My big sister you took me to a place that I had never been.  I knew what it felt like to lose a close  co-worker to gun gun violence, I knew what it felt like to lose a father, I knew what it felt like to lose a mother. I knew what it felt like to lose a brother, but I never felt what it felt like to lose a sister who was like a mother to me as well.
Now I truly know how many people feel, today you took me back, to the  place of our origin, when I looked at you I saw our mother.

I love you Gwen, and I always will, with all my love your brother Kirk.
Author
Kirk Clark Sr.
February 26, 2016
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