Sweet home Alabama
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Alabama
Lord, I'm coming home to you
I was in Alabama recently to attend the funeral of my sister, Mary. While it was a sad occasion, I was thankful for the opportunity to celebrate her life with family and friends. She was more than just a sister; she was a good friend.
A kind, gentle spirit with a big heart and a surprisingly throaty laugh, Mary brought such joy to those who knew her. Despite her quiet nature, she was anything but weak. Mary fought crippling rheumatoid arthritis and a body-ravaging cancer with amazing strength, endurance and grace. In fact, she fought so hard and for so long, when her time came, it was hard to believe she was really gone. Thankfully, I know she's enjoying a richly deserved peace.
One of my favorite memories of Mary is the Thanksgiving we spent together in 2004. She met me in a snow-covered Chicago where we enjoyed lunch at the Signature Room at the 95th, a restaurant atop the John Hancock Building that provides an incredible view of the city. A little shopping on Michigan Avenue was followed by a lot of laughs at Second City (a local comedy club). On Thanksgiving Day, we drove to my home in Peoria, where we enjoyed a turkey dinner with all the trimmings at my neighborhood club house. We capped off the beautiful fall day by taking a long drive around Peoria. Mary especially enjoyed our journey down Grandview Drive, a scenic roadway along bluffs overlooking the Illinois River. When then President Theodore Roosevelt visited Peoria in 1910, he called it the "world's most beautiful drive".
Returning home after dropping Mary at the airport for her trip back to Alabama, I noticed a single yellow post-it note on my refrigerator. It's simple message: "Thanks for a great time. It really was a grand view. Love, M"
Looking at the world through my sister's eyes was a grand view, too. I'll miss her the rest of my days.
1.35 billion people -- one fifth of the world's total population. 3.7 million square miles in size. A Communist state. The People's Republic of China. My new home.
