The Great Karena

Everyone should have an older sister. I was lucky enough to have a younger sister to order around and an older one who was the fount of all kinds of mysterious wisdom. I guess it's just the role of the oldest but somehow, Karena always knew things. She taught us how to sing in harmony, or at least she tried. She knew who everyone in our large church community was and who they were related to. She knew the rules about everything.

She knew what socks to wear with what skirt and the matching of clothes in general which was always a deep mystery to me (and still is, really). I remember exactly where I was standing one day when she said to me, “You are NOT going to wear that skirt with that shirt are you?” One was green and one was red. “Why not?” I asked, scornfully, but also with trepidation. “Um, it's not Christmastime!” Oh. How are you born with this information that green and red should not be worn together?

When we were probably eight and ten, or somewhere thereabouts, we came up with a great dramatic routine starring The Great Karena. We put on skits for just about anyone who would watch and sometimes even roped in some poor, unsuspecting souls who came to our home for Bible studies. We posted signs and I think we even tried to charge admission. I don't remember much of what we did except that Karena would sit and beat on a drum and tell stories of her trips to darkest Africa and I was her assistant and would fetch her whatever she so desired. !?? Awesome.

I always admired her artistic ability and was awed by her drawings, lettering and ability to create. These things just seem to come naturally to her and she went on to further her talent later in college and in her work after that.

As I mentioned, Karena always knew and remembered all the rules. It used to really bug me that she would always know, almost word for word some awfully inconvienent instruction I had managed to forget. I came to admire this in her eventually because she always held herself accountable and obeyed when it wasn't easy.

Thank you, Karena for being such a great sister and putting up with all my teasing and torture. Happy Birthday...I love you. Birthday wishes are in order over here.