My Sister Sharon

April 23, 2023 To Jane, Burt, Mike, Angie, Wayne, Cindy and Heidi Your mother, my older sister, has always been a hero of mine. I don’t remember much when I was very young, but I do remember your mother always had friends over to the house, played games with them and laughed a lot. 

I remember one time Sharon, Roger and I went to the Tower theater to see Abbott & Costello Meets Frankenstein. Each of us had a very unique experience that day. I was hiding between the seats because I was afraid. Roger was upset. Why? Because your mother was laughing so hard. He had to get up and move away from her. 

She was the best laugher, even at herself. Many Problems and Solutions were directed at her, and it was like she was glad that others could laugh and have fun, even at her expense. My dad was not like that at all. He did not like anyone laughing at him. Which means Sharon took after my mother. 

I was 11 when your mother married your dad. She seemed old enough to me. And it was such a blessing to have so many younger ‘brothers and sisters’ around (Jane, Burt, Mike and Angie when you were living with us and then in the duplex and then it became the house next door). Your dad was more like a brother to me than a brother-in-law. Your mother could always talk me into tending you, and I was not easy to convince, having tended you a few times. But she could do it. Maybe it was the promise of an ice cream cone, or some other treat, but I would always do it for her, even though sometimes reluctantly. 

Hers was no easy task, but to me it seems she loved being a mother and she loved Howard. Theirs was a love story--still is. That is why I am posting this on my blog about love. I learned so much from Sharon about love and loving. Her capacity to love, as you all know, is beyond that of a mere mortal. But she did it in a way that you just felt accepted and loved. There was never any judgment, and if there was it was more like concern and really caring about those she loved. 

She accepted Annie and loved her because she knew how, and because she loved me and knew how happy to have found Annie again. One highlight of Annie’s life in Utah was to go to South Jordan and have Sharon teach her everything about making Rocky Road, and Annie made it to perfection, just like Sharon and you do now. I could not eat a piece without thinking of my mother and Sharon. Such a simple tradition carried on by generations is a tribute to both of them. And the Rocky Road is really really good! 

After we moved to Arizona and each time we came to Utah we would invite Sharon, Roger, Karen, Scott and Pam to Morelias in Murray. It was our favorite place to go, and each time we ordered what each of us always ordered. Good food, but with the best sister and brothers a boy could have. Too bad Donna was in Colorado. What amazed me after Howard died was that Sharon, for lack of a better description, re-invented herself. New house, new car, new hair style, weight loss. She became more beautiful with age. I would always tell her story to friends and show pictures of her. They all agreed how beautiful she was. I was so proud of her. 

But she was my older sister after all, and I felt blessed because of her. We were so happy that we saw her in March when we were in Utah. Of course we took some paintings with us. I saw another one that I really liked, but she told us that it was reserved for Clyde. 

We both knew that it would be the last time we saw each other, with our move to France. Little did any of us know that it would be sooner rather than later that one of us would be gone. She thanked Annie again for making me so happy. It was not sad to say goodbye that day because she will always be a part of me. For us there is no beginning and no end. We always know there is so much more ahead of us. 

A friend of ours who was having a series of health problems, kid problems, economic problems, was talking with us one day. I reminded her of what Job was asked by Jehovah “Where were you when the Sons/Daughters of God shouted for joy?” in reference to our coming to this earth. Our friend said she must have been in the bathroom. 

Sharon always was shouting for joy! Sure she was concerned about you and your kids and grandchildren, but that was her life, starting at a very young age. Her health problems might have slowed her down, or better yet, directed her to other activities. She just kept re-inventing herself, and will continue to do so. 

I love and appreciate each of you. It has been awhile since we have seen each other and we would have liked to be in Utah next week, but with this move to France this week, made it impossible to come to her funeral. But funerals are for the living. Each of us can say that the Lord must have really loved us to allow us to be Sharon’s children and brother. 

Clark