I just got back from Montreal. I was there a bit longer than expected this time.
My granddaughter was christened Megan Elizabeth on Saturday. After the service and the dinner I met with my two daughters to talk about my sister and her recent death.
My brother in Toronto was holding a similar opportunity in Toronto for some of her friends.
I read the post I made at My sister Robin RIP Mar. 26, 1963 - Nov. 7, 2005 as we began. Typing it was so much easier than reading it out loud. I had to keep stopping. The words just choked in my throat. It was so hard but after several stops and starts I got through it. I just kept thinking of that beautiful baby I held in my arms earlier that day and all that I missed with Robin.
A couple of other things came out. My sister had been kidnapped twice.
The first time was when she was about 4 years old - by her father - the man who sexually abused me - the abuse the elder swept under the rug. He took her for several days before he brought her back and telling my mother that he put a curse on her (My mother was considering bein g baptized or had already been baptized - not sure which). My mother said she believes he abused her during that time. We know he abused his children from his first marriage and he abused my aunt (1 year older than me and the elders hid that one too) Perhaps if they had called the police my sister would have been spared the abuse.
The second time she was kidnapped she might have been 5. The person who took her was a stranger. She was found a few hours later wandering in another part of the city. Seems he abused her and let her go - thank goodness that he let her go. I remember going to the hospital with my mother to pick her up.
We never discussed it. Not really discussed it the way it needed to be discussed. She never got any treatment or therapy. It was just one more abuse in our family - one among so many others.
Robin had a miscarriage many years ago. After it, she was told she could never have any other children. I think this was why being an aunt was so important to her. My daughter told me they went to a club one night and some guys started hitting on them. Well my sister told these guys to buzz off. This was her night to spend with her niece to have fun and no guy was going to get in the way. I could almost see her saying that.
My youngest daughter also said she spoke to Robin a few years ago. Seems Robin was so proud of me and that I had found a way to survive this family and turn the negatives into something positive and help others.
She gave me the picture below about 5 years ago.
She has been cremated and her ashes will be scattered over the lake that she came to love.
God Bless You Robin