Love Letter to My Sister Suzie

March 29, 2026

Ever since I can remember, my sister, three years my senior, has been my guide and defender. My first playmate and my interpreter. She spoke Danny and would patiently explain to our parents what it was that I wanted. She held herself to high standards and set an example for me. The moral character she developed under our parents’ watchful eyes I have admired and tried to make my own. Her fervent belief in the ideals that America espoused but upon closer inspection failed to act upon made her career choice for her. She became an advocate in the courtroom for those trampled by hypocrisy, unjustly accused and unjustly imprisoned. Then she spent a few decades teaching those who might carry on the fight the ins and outs of battling for the rights of those who should be protected, not prosecuted, under the rule of law. She still stands against injustice and can be found at marches with Thomas’ brightly colored signs that stand out in the crowd.

Her life has not been an easy one. The depth to which we mourn is a multiple of how completely we loved, and our father’s loss can only be measured on the Richter scale. She is a faithful friend and has created a chosen family on the West Coast since distance has separated her from her own. She has perfected coparenting with her adopted family and is inextricably connected to her amazing and loving daughter and now filled to overflowing with love for her granddaughter. She has created a life filled with large dollops of travel, theater, literature, and music. Making an art form of entertaining friends and family from out of town. To this day she worries about the health and welfare of her brothers and makes sure that we know she is there for us. Her own health now challenges her, and she spends time each day on tasks that will keep her agile and active between visits to the doctors. A pursuit we all seem to be engaged in, though Aunt Lisa and she are farther ahead in this regard.

This morning I thought it was a worthwhile goal to let her know how much I care for her and how she has shaped the way I view and respond to the world around me. Thank you for the tender loving care you have shared with me since I can remember. In many ways you taught me what love is.

With Love and Gratitude

Your middling brother

Danny