Our sister Lisa

Today I have the honor of sharing with all of you the beautiful life of our little sister Lisa.  .  A lot of you would not have known the Pre Damian days of Lisa.  Today I will reflect on fun childhood memories that only sisters could know. 

  Lisa was actually born Sharon but Mum and Dad changed her name within a couple of weeks after she was born to Lisa.  To many SSS with all of us.  Sandra, Cheryl, Susan, Sharon was a bit of a mouthful.  She was always Lisa to us.  A few years ago Lisa rang me up and told me she tried to get a passport and was told  “I don’t exist did you know I was born another name.?”  I said “Yes you were born and named Sharon for a very short time” Lisa wanted to know why she wasn’t told this.  “Slipped my mind.  I was only 6 years old at the time.  I still laugh when I think about this conversation how serious she was about the whole situation but after awhile we would joke about it.

We all grew up in

Dalmore Street

at Ashgrove.  This was our family home.  Our eldest sister had moved out not long after Lisa was about 4 and my pesty little sister was to share my room.  We eventually called a truce and started to get along with each other but occasionally had the odd tiff.  That’s what sisters did but we always made up.

Lisa and I loved our big sister Cheryl and her possessions.  Cheryl at this time had met her future husband Paul and while they were dating Paul use to buy Cheryl all this amazing jewellery.  Of course she had to parade it around in front of us.  Lisa and I needed to have some of the stash.  Cheryl use to lock her door when she went out but we had a door between the rooms.  Cheryl had her wardrobe up against it but Lisa was small enough to squeeze through the door and between the wall and cupboard to collect our cut.  Even though we knew we couldn’t wear the jewellery we had a box we hid it in and we would pull it out occasionally and try them on.  Cheryl never knew and I only told her this story last week.

Dad had built a cubby house in the back yard plus our swings and slippery slide and we would spend hours each day with all our dolls playing grown ups in the yard.  I can remember one day around the ‘Bionic Woman era” Lisa decided with her nephew Glenn who was only a couple of years younger then Lisa  that my Wendy walker doll had been involved in a  terrible accident and needed a surgery on her eyes.  Well both of them pushed out the eyes and stuffed the eye sockets with balls of newspaper.  Wendy walker was no more.  She became Lisa’s doll.  I didn’t want her anymore.  Thank goodness she never got hold of my Barbie which I still have today. 

Lisa loved playing dolls and had so many Barbie dolls over the years we lost track of them all but she just loved playing with them.  And the scissors.  I recall mum having to hide the scissors from her because Lisa said some of the dolls needed a haircut.  She eventually had a few Barbies with some amazing haircuts.  Just goes to show when she was determined to do something she would do it.  So glad she didn’t make Hairdressing a career choice.

Our summers were always spent down the Gold Coast at our Grandmothers place.  Swimming at the beach or the pools down there and plenty of family get togethers with our Aunts, Uncles and cousins.  We spent a lot of our time at our cousins Julie and Carmens place who only lived a few streets away from our Grandmothers.  Julie and Carmen had the biggest Persimmon tree that I had ever seen.  Full of ripe, over ripe and rotten fruit.   All of us would all have Persimmon Fights.  The smellier the better.  I know Lisa coped a few over the years.

Lisa was adorable beautiful little girl.  Blonde hair, dimples and as she grew older became the tomboy.  She was sporty, slim and played netball at primary school.  We all went to Oakliegh State School and eventually to Newmarket High School.   When Lisa was 11 dad had lost his battle with cancer so it was just Mum, Lisa and myself at home.

During my single wild days my little sister was there to let me in after curfew.  Mum was always telling me to be home by midnight but most times it was more like 2am in the morning so I use to knock on her window and she would come and open the front door for me.

 When Lisa was 14 I had my eldest daughter Sarah and lived at home.  Lisa adored Sarah.  I knew Lisa would be an amazing mother when it was her time to have children.  Lisa always wanted to bath her, nurse her and play with her.  Lisa is one of Sarah’s godmothers.

Lisa adored all of her nieces and nephews and when the whole family got together she was always found playing and looking after all the kids in the back yard.  They adored her.

High School years was full of assignments and homework.  Lisa hated wasting her time doing this and was always calling on her Brother-in-law Paul to help her out.  All of her Brother-in-laws would do anything for her.  She was not one of those annoying teenagers like most of us were she was beautiful and had time for everyone.

Lisa’s taste for music was an ‘80s nightmare.  She loved Michael Jackson and her first album she bought was ‘Thriller”.  This album is part of her collection today.  I remember how excited she was the night it was being played for the first time on television in Australia.  Her and I were glued to the TV waiting to watch it.  She loved it.  Around this time Wham and Madonna had hit the scene.  So her dress sense was a Life shirt, black pants, legwarmers, jewellery, permed hair.  I tell you now that was not a pretty sight. 

I eventually moved out of home and married my husband Bill in 1986.  Of course Lisa was one of my bridesmaids at my wedding.  Lisa was there when I found the dress and of course the bridesmaid dresses.

 Eventually Lisa moved out of home and lived at Bardon in the pink house. Sarah had many sleepovers at her place.  They would sit down and put on the Madonna DVD and spend the day singing to it.  This was also the house that Lisa met the love of her life Damian and the rest is history.

I’m not here today to say goodbye to my little sister I’m here today to say see you later. I also believe you are not alone and our eldest sister Sandra is with you.  I know one day I will see you again.  Lisa we promise we will be here for Damian and the girls and we know that you will always be around guiding us.  Until we meet again.  Love you forever.

Its not goodbye its see you again

You know that the facts of life is that eventually we are going to die no matter what.  I sit here on a Tuesday Morning and in disbelief that my little sister Lisa is gone.  Who would of thought last Monday after celebrating Christmas we were all over our Mums Place laughing and enjoying ourselves.  Talking about holidays, renovations, children, grandchildren.  All the normal things sisters talk about.  Lisa was giving our elder sister Cheryl a hard time  about not ever being on an airoplane and we needed to change this.  Lisa then started on me about it but quickly reminded her that I flew to Gladstone for the birth of the grandson.  We all started laughing.  That was us.  We always made time to get together at christmas. 
We are all so busy with our own families that during the year we hardly have time to do this.  I am grateful for emails.  As we all started to say goodbye and see you later Lisa was so excited that the back deck on their house had finally been completed and she would ring me before we all went back to work for a BBQ.  Lisa and I always enjoy a nice bottle of something  so it was the christening of the deck.
We all hugged and kissed and said goodbye.  Who would of ever thought that this would of been the last time I would ever speak to my little sister again in this life.

Thursday morning 30th December 2010.  My nephew Tylers birthday, the day before my birthday always a busy time of the year.  Mobile phone rings at 8.15 in the morning.  Missed the call and noticed it was Lisa calling and rang back.  I thought this is strange Damian has answered.  Then my world fell apart.  He found Lisa on the lounge and thought she was sleeping and he went to wake her.  She had passed away.  How does a healthy 40 year of just die.

So I sit here this morning as I have sat here every morning for the last couple of days writing her Eulogy for here funeral on Friday.  This is one wish her partner Damian wants me to do.  How could I say no.  But how am I going to stand up in front of everyone and read it.  I know it can be done but most people who know me knows I'm a fairly emotional person.

I am now on my 4th page of Lisa's Eulogy.  All those fantastic childhood memories have been captured in this.  Funny little stories that only sisters would know.  Wow what fun my little sister and I had.  I hope I do her justice with this.  40 years into a couple of pages.  Lisa wouldn't want it to be sad so I hope with some of the stories if I make a few people smile that day I know I have done my job.  So for know I will continue to write what needs to be written and told.  She is the most beautiful little sister in the world.  I know most people have a little sister or brother.  Do one thing and after you read this blog ring them and tell them how much they mean to you. 

I know I am NOT say goodbye to you Lisa. I know I will see you again.  Love you forever my beautiful little sister.  I will promise you that your little girls and Damian are looked after.

See you one day,

Love and Kisses

your big sister Susan.