kb.

she arrives in a whirl wind,

glasses perched on her nose,

keys still dangling from her 

hard working hands. 

she had left me a frantic voice mail

over apologizing for her tardiness

spouting something about corn in her teeth

and losing track of time 

shooting the breeze with a friend. 

her last words before ending the call were

“please don’t give up on me”

and here i was, just honored to be given 

ANY of her time. 

i will save that voice mail forever.

As i have only begun to learn her

i stand aside next to her amazing strength, 

she emanates such a power force

and yet, in all of this beautiful, 

dangerous tempest, 

is the quiet, weary, small, gentle soul

with whom i can find rest, 

commonality, 

and kinship.

she is tired. she is weak. 

she is wounded. 

there is brokenness and deep pain 

amidst the barbed wire and cactus heart. 

there are stacks of wrongs 

mounted up against her, 

towering over her like a blackened shadow,

and there are burdens 

even the strongest cannot bear.

at least not alone. 

I am humbled by her brute honesty, 

by her transparency, 

by the weakness that lives 

just beneath her strong frame.

i only recognize it because 

it lives in me too,

and its scent follows me where ever i go.

i am learning, learning 

l e a r n i n g, 

as she speaks, 

and even when she doesn’t. 

she will not shy away from 

truth, reality,

and just a coarse look at life 

as it unfolds.

she brings out laughter in me 

over and over 

as she sprinkles bits of humor 

in her [unedited] story sharing.

in just this few short bundle of hours,

i know i love her. very much. 

when i am given the chance to 

pull forth laughter from her

it sounds like a Bill Gaither song in full throttle

and i could just explode with joy. 

we talk of e v e r y t h i n g. 

what it is to be cast aside, forgotten, 

mis used and mis understood.

we talk of olive branches and confrontations 

and ask the necessary questions 

about forgiveness and grace. 

we talk of hard and soft things, 

about love and anger, 

and i never want to leave the spot 

from across the wooden table, 

her legs sprawled in the chair in front of her, 

those eyes of hers not missing 

one. single. thing. 

she humbles me even more that 

she would take the time 

to ask, to listen, and even 

consider caring about me, 

and my own little storm clouds. 

she is patient, gentle, and again, 

with the forth right truth, 

and i rest knowing there isn’t 

anything to fear. 

i trust her completely. 

she will always give me nitty gritty naked truth. 

i appreciate that more than i can say. 

in a world of passive aggressives, 

lies, and ulterior motives,

i am ever so thankful for her and her words. 

they are like huge vibrant fire works, 

sprinkled with colorful expletives here and there, 

but believe you me, 

i will welcome real over fabricated any day. 

so dear K, 

i honor you and respect you.

i adore and learn from you. 

you are a beautiful, stalwart woman, 

and i am learning what strength 

surrendered to the Father looks like 

peeking into your life. 

I learn from my own weakness and hurt, 

as you welcomed me

into what you have learned from yours. 

I love that we love to gut laugh 

and can recognize shadiness 

when we see it. 

i am humbled to know you, 

to be given the rare gift of your friendship. 

can you please adopt me 

as your 

little sister?