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| Keely and Pops |
Let me just tell you about my parents' best friend, their daughter, my ride-or-die sister, Keely.
She is a saint. Does her halo lean a little to the side? Yes. She's human. She just has saintly qualities...like how she took care of our parents. Her love and loyalty to them was on display daily. Ever since Mom died in November 2015, she's been a constant in my Dad's life--always there, always getting shit done, taken care of. She was an excellent caretaker. He wasn't always easy to love. They got into it plenty of times. But did she ever quit on his difficult ass? NO! Not one time did she walk away mad and stay mad. She loved "Pops," as she called him. She became his best friend, his "stand in" for Mom. He was lost without her. Keely was like a rudder in Dad's life through all of the hard times, the bad times, the breathtaking grief.
Until her move to the other side of town, she was the one who lived closest to Dad. She was fifteen minutes away and her family was at his house in Cicero as much as they were home on Schlak Acres. They shared too many meals to count. She cleaned his house, landscaped, cleaned the office he managed at Edgewater Crossing, his 55-plus community. She's STILL doing that!
And Dad trusted her...so much so, that he put her on his personal bank accounts. She had power of attorney over his medical care. She was named "Personal Representative" in his will and given full control over his assets. She, like no one else, knew his wishes. She was left to carry them out, as he instructed.
Keely knew Dad's heart better than anyone besides Mom, too. She saw through all the gruffness and bluster of a grieving, aging man. She adored her Pops. They had a special relationship I could have only wished for, but I was never jealous. I loved her and Dad's relationship. I admired the way she was able to look past the surface and love unconditionally. Keely is wired that way. She's not surface. She's real, sometimes raw, but she's as faithful as they come. I've witnessed it firsthand. She's my ride-or-die. And she was that for Mom and Dad, too.
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| Keely and Her Precious |
No one knew Mom's heart better than Keely, either. Mom was "Her Precious." They were best friends to the bitter end. That's no exaggeration, either. Mom would tell you. Keely made an investment in Mom (in both our parents) that is unmatched by anyone. She loved Mom like no other.
I wish I had a more recent photo of them together, but the ones here will have to suffice. They capture the essence of their lifetime of devotion and unconditional love.
In Mom's final 17 months on Earth, no one took care of her like Keely did. I was up here several times to see it with my own eyes--all the tender care, the blood thinning shots twice a day, the love between them. She was strong when Mom grew so weak. She was her rock...and their bond was rock solid.
They lived near each other, worshipped together, served together, laughed and loved on Keely's girls together (all the grandkids, really). I know that my girls loved their Grammy AND their Aunt KeeKee in equal parts! All of the grandkids loved the both of them.
I loved them. Mom and I always shared a special bond. I was her first. We grew up together. But we drifted apart. Keely was constant, steadfast. I admired their relationship so much!
What I will never, ever forget, is the great care that Keely, alone, gave my dying mother in her last days. I saw it firsthand. I felt it.
I also witnessed what a blessing she was to my own children, Merikathryn (MK) and Makenna. As I said, they LOVE their Aunt KeeKee, just like they loved Mom, "their special Grammy," as they called her. Every time we came to see Mom in 2015, and trips since, they WITHOUT QUESTION stay at Aunt KeeKee's. She's had favorite aunt status from early on.
But her goodness does not just extend to family. I've seen Keely's Christianity in action. She always has time for people--the frazzled waitress, the kid with special needs, the stranded motorist/stranger. She has a heart the size of Texas! Don't let her rough edges fool you--and she WILL cut a Motherf---er! don't get that twisted--but she LOVES people and treats them with dignity and respect. I've seen her go out of her way to help those in need. I've heard her kind, encouraging words to the downtrodden and marginalized. She is eager to do good, always.
Sure, she has some flaws. Who doesn't? It's part of our human existence. But Keely is a bonafide SAINT!
I only strive to be the person she is. I admire her greatly.
Among her many attributes, I respect most her ability to parent, mostly alone, not just her bio-children, but her adopted ones, too. I greatly admire her loyalty as a friend, not just to me or Mom and Dad, but also to Leah and Christine, her two besties. She's a ride-or-die kind of person. That's just her nature. I also admire her soft side that not everyone gets to see. She's full of compassion, tenderness, creativity, kindness and empathy. She's a rare breed of human being and a real Christian.
Show Keely love and respect and you'll get the same tenfold! She'll ALWAYS have your back. She's had mine.
I couldn't ask for a better one than her.
