I think about my sister a lot, but this week, I’ve been thinking about her a lot, a lot. She’s spent the days leading up to her 25th birthday — a time in a young person’s life that’s typically about dreaming big, testing the water and living freely and fearlessly and without abandon — in a hospital bed.

For 4-5 years now, Kathryn has been living with epilepsy. Doctors haven’t found the right prescription to control her seizures through medication, and over several months, she has undergone / is undergoing a series of tests while hospitalized to see if and how surgery might be an option as well. She’s living with a great amount of risk, but it’s not the kind of risk you want or seek out in your 20s — or ever, really.

I think about my sister, and I cannot help but imagine how terrifying it must be to be in her shoes. For so many reasons. For reasons that don’t even cross my mind, reasons I can’t comprehend. I think about my sister and everything she’s facing, and I think about how she’s taking it in stride, how she’s working two jobs, how she doesn’t complain, how she isn’t quick to anger. When it comes to my sister and her health and her life, I think about a lot of things, but more than anything, lately, I think about how brave she is.

Brave. That’s the word I keep coming back to. She is strong and brave and courageous and — while I’m sure it’s not easy and some days she’d rather not be — patient.

I also think about how loved she is. I think about the capacity that my heart alone has for loving her — it is overflowing in ways I cannot describe — and I think about how special it is to have a sister. A sister like Kathryn. How did I get so lucky that she is my sister? My God-given best friend. She’s all I’ve got, and she is loyal, kind, loving, patient, radiant, courageous and brave. Oh-so brave.

I love you, Kathryn. Deeply. More than you will ever know. And I am praying the road ahead holds a positive solution and better, extraordinary days for you.

I don’t often post about loved ones on social media or on my blog, but I’ve been incredibly inspired by my sister lately and, with her blessing, can’t help but share what I see in her and her story. I am proud of how she’s handling an incredibly adverse situation with an immense amount of bravery.

September 1, 2017