She Carries the Fire
And wields it well.
Please ignore the gangly geek in the photo. I almost chose a different picture with only that beautiful lady on the right, holding the graduation and honors certificates presented to her that day. Instead, I decided to embrace the fact that she insisted on sharing the stage with her awkward little brother. The family resemblance is strong, but even in this innocent snapshot from simpler times, her grace and strength shine through. Mine? Let's not go there.
I could easily have written about our mother, but I've dedicated a few stories to the fiery soul that she was. This is about the woman who inherited that fire and still tends it today. I've witnessed her wield it on many occasions and felt its burn a few times, myself. The most memorable involves me finding myself on my ass in the dirt, beside a school bus full of students that knew both of us.
Don't think for a second that she's a violent person. On the contrary, I'd worked hard to earn the embarrassment, and the fact is, the only thing hurt was my pride. Pardon the segue while I explain.
We lived rurally at the time, outside a very small town in Colorado. My sister, Sharon and I were the only school-aged kids at home. There was one bus dedicated to our area for all grade levels. On school days, we walked together down our little dirt road to its intersection with the county road and waited. I'm fairly sure she earned the wings she'll be awarded one day, solely by merit of those mornings - for the simple fact that I survived.
The day came when I found the end of her patience, and she'd warned me, not only on previous occasions, but only moments before. For reasons I can't fathom at this stage of life, my means of getting my sister's attention on those mornings was to incessantly poke her as we took our place in line to board.
So, there I sat on my butt, my face stinging more from the cold morning air on my cheek than the severity of the well-earned slap. I'd been knocked over by the shock, which is an indication of the thickness of my head. I would like to have added “in those days” to that, but I'm afraid it hasn't grown thinner in many ways, although the hair on it certainly has.
The point is, I learned something that day, as I found an empty seat on that bus in which to nurse my wounds. My sister carried the same, quiet fire inside as my mother, and I would not be provoking it again.
Now, the photo above was taken many years later, of course. Over those years, I would bear witness to the countless ways that flame worked in her life and I watch it to this day.
We would attend the same high school – not during the same years, of course. Let me assure you, she was a tough act to follow. Everyone remembered my sister. One of the marks she made for herself was as a journalist for the school newspaper. (Yes, she's part of the reason I write.) We had the same choir director. I honestly believe he expected more from me than I delivered. Throughout my days there, she never stopped encouraging me and telling me how great I was.
At 14 years old, I was lucky enough to realize that her fire was dangerously close to being extinguished over a boy. After a trip to the ER and a mandatory stay in rehab, I'm happy to say it burns stronger today. Before you give me any credit, you should know that I'm the one who benefited most.
She thrived as a military wife. She hung on to that marriage and made it work. She raised a family of boys, one of whom was born with a horrible disease and left this life as a teenager in a sudden and tragic way. She survived and loved country living, even after losing everything she owned in one of the worst wildfires in Colorado history. Her life has been uprooted time and time again, and she's faithfully replanted. She has survived the loss of her husband to cancer and still maintains the family business.
Through all of this, she's been a constant source of encouragement for her geeky little brother and the keeper of the flame passed down through the generations. The dragon beside me in this photo has been by my side all along.
About the Creator
Dana Crandell
Dad, Stedpad, Grandpa, Husband, lover of Nature and dogs.
Poet, Writer, Editor, Photographer, Artist and Tech/Internet nerd. Content writer by trade. Vocal Creator by choice.
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Celebrating Second Chances
“I’m Broken” – Pantera Days before my 39th birthday we walked into the Back to School night as a family with the truth buried in a shallow grave. This was the first time we were trying to do something together since my wife had moved out of the house a few weeks before that night. The wounds created by our rapidly deteriorating relationship were still raw and open, but we had agreed to try and put the anger and pain aside to provide a sense of normalcy for my daughter.
By Carl J. Petersen2 days ago in Families
Comments (29)
This is an incredibly well-written tribute to a most deserving woman! We should all be so blessed to have someone like your sister in our lives! Beautifully done, Dana! Congratulations!
What a gorgeous and powerful tribute, Dana! I loved this story so much! Your sister sounds like an incredible woman– and she’s blessed to have a brother like you! Beautiful! Congrats on your placement in the challenge! So well deserved! ✨💕✨
Beautiful tribute to your sister. (My little brother used to poke me, too. Your story made me smile... An inside look at little brother psychology.) Congratulations on runner up .... Well deserved.
I love this sister appreciation <3. Very sweet and heartfelt. Congrats on placing so high in this challenge!
Congratulations on your runner up win. Beautiful tribute to your sister.
Well done, sir!
Wooohooooo you wonnnn!!! Congratulations! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
An older sister who kept you in line! I like it!! Congratulations!
Great dragon act to follow. You are a lucky man. Congrats.
Great big congrats!!
Fantastic & congratulations!!!❤️❤️💕
Hey you. Congrats 👏
OH Yay! So glad this placed as a runner up, sir. Well done, congrats and hope you tell your sister she helped you get this! :)
One of my favorite ways to read a story is to follow the segues and the 'tell you this to tell you that'. Those detours enrich, inform, and entertain. I can see the spark in you, too.
Oh ffs, sir. I am definitely not crying even a little bit. I am sorry it's taken me an age to get around to this one. I loved learning more about your sister. She sounds like a mighty fine woman and it's clear you learned something from your pride being dented lol. As ever with your pieces, loved the image too. Nice insight into young Dana. I would say this deserves to place, and I stand by that, I know I am a little biased, but I am looking at it with unbiased eyes and feeling the same. I love when you write with such eloquence, but also anecdotally, like I imagine you recounting this chapter in front of a fire with a few beers. Hayley also stole the line I loved about the her keeping the fire alive that she got from your mother. This is just so beautifully done. As always...I find inspiration in the technical side of this...but let's not drag on about that. This is a fine entry into the challenge, sir and wish you well in the challenge. :) Hope you and your lovely wife are keeping afloat. Oh...it also joins the dots a little...to the piece you wrote about your nephew...that I still remember. The fact your sister is still ploughing on and burning brightly inspite all that...is a testimony to her spirit. Anyway...I'll stop blabbering on now and wipe my messy eyes. Damn it, sir!
Lovely ode to your sister Dana!! This was such a joy to read, your sister sounds like a wonderful, strong and perseverant woman. I absolutely loved the line about her inheriting the fire and keeping it aflame from your mother. Damn good stuff! 🧡
I truly enjoyed learning more about your sister & her legacy! Awesome work Dana!
What a wonderful tribute. This brought back memories of standing where the dirt road met the paved waiting for a bus in the cold Arizona morning
Omggggg hahahahahahahahahahaha I'm so sorryyyyy but that was hilarious! You got bitchslapped by your sister! I mean, you had it coming hahahahahahahahaha!! Gosh I love your sister! I feel so sad for all the loss that she had to endure. She's such a strong lady! May the fire within her never extinguish!
Tissues....I need tissues. I so love this story! I think because I have a brother 7 years younger than me that was singed by my fire a few times...yet he has been one of my best friends and most beloved of persons all through my life. I adore him. What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful woman!
Sisters can indeed be a wonderful thing. Our two sisters, the two youngest following six consecutive boys, remain completely devoted to one another & to each of their brothers. My wife & sister-in-law (her sister), after having recovered from the traumas of childhood inflicted upon one another. Talk to one another daily or more on their cell phones. Their favorite song to this day is "Sisters" from the movie "White Christmas".
Awww, such a beautiful to story to highlight how much you adore your sister. Sibling love is so special.
Incredible tribute to your sister! She is clearly an amazing woman and you have written a magnificent piece!
I like the self-deprecating tone. Nice portrait. I have two criticisms. A small one is that you left out the word "have" in the sentence "We would attended. . ." The second is that I don't understand the paragraph that begins "At 14 years old, I was lucky..." I sense you are being delicate about a traumatic incident, but it is unclear, at least to me. I presume that you were lucky to have been able to intervene, etc. but I'm not sure.
Oh goodness, this was such a blessing to read :) What an incredible woman. I sure hope she gets to read these beautiful words. Well done, my friend :)