Minus One

This weekend we spent four wonderful days catching up with my family. My three sisters live in different states, so it's always a fun time when we get together. We love to take pictures and I never look at a picture without thinking---we are minus one. My oldest sister, Laurie died when we were all kids, even before Liz was here. To be honest, I seldom think of her much, it's been so long now. I was younger than her namesake, my niece Kara Laurie, when she left us.

But when we're all together I often think, "we're minus one." What would her husband be like? Would her kids tease mine and splash them in the creek? Would she sit in the rocker and give me some good recipes to try? I miss her. I wish I could have known her as an adult. We're minus one.