My Sister, My Mirror

This isn’t about resemblance but about learning some truths about one’s self. For instance, I am more aware of what an introvert I am and how I value solitude above all else…because I have so little of it. Actually I have all I need but it never seems like enough. After 20 plus years of an empty nest I had come to believe my life and my time belonged to me exclusively and I could give of myself as I saw fit. That’s changed.

I learned I am task-oriented more than people-oriented. I like people and I’m very comfortable in a group, but if there is a task left unfinished, internally I am antsy. I find it very difficult to just sit and be with my sister. My mind is dashing on to the next project and my body soon follows.

I learned that the term “Christ in me, the hope of glory” is my truth. Glory does not mean fame and success, but the shining through of a power that isn’t native to my human nature. I’ve learned that my sister is not something broken that I need to fix, nor is she a problem that I can solve. This situation is so much beyond my natural talents that all I can do is surrender and when that happens I suddenly say to my sister “old age is not for sissies, is it?” and contentment settles on us both.

Harriet Vaughan

About Harriet Vaughan

I am a Senior Move Manager, working with Senior Citizens and their families when it is time to downsize or just make the home safer and more comfortable for aging in place. I help these people make decisions about what to keep, throw out, donate, or sell. I also offer workshops on "Getting Things Done When You Are Over 60". I write about how to overcome memory lapses and how to use your physical energy well. I have a degree in Home Economics from the University of Maine. I live in Coopers Mills, about 14 miles east of Augusta. I have been married for almost 50 years to my husband, Chuck Vaughan. Our business is called Legacy Years Transition Services.