Joe Slack

When we were younger, Sarah and my relationship was a bit tumultuous. It can be summed up in the following incident-
She once met me in the dining room doorway with mom standing right behind her, and Sarah Just hit me, for essentially being in her way. I complained to mom, who witnessed this unprovoked turn of events. She immediately interrogated Sarah. “Why did you hit your brother?” Sarah’s priceless response was, “Because he’s Joe.” Evidently, no other explanation was needed, and mom passed sentence. “Sarah, don’t hit your brother. Joe, don’t Tease your sister.”

Fast forwarding… As many have said, Sarah was a kind soul, who I feel suffered way more than her share. I had the privilege of being fairly regularly in her life for the last 10 years or so. We always tried to do our best to support each other, always being respectful of each other, though we still could push each other aggravation buttons at times, just like good siblings.
I gave her a place to stay when she left Georgia for Texas, and She was there when I went through my second divorce, and provided me a place to stay while I figured out my life…

We would often do more for each other when we could.
While she was at the pain clinic in Michigan for migraines, I drove up to visit her from Texas. It was in the fall, and the Halloween Costumes were out. I found the neatest thing that I knew she would love. It was a gauze head wrapping that was suppose to simulate a bandage from a head injury, with a mechanical rat simulating eating the wearers’ brain. So, I bought it, gave it to her, and she LOVED it!

So she had it on and was getting quiet laughs from the nurses (everyone there was being treated for migraines). When the doctor came in and saw it on her head, he asked how she was feeling, she said something along the lines of, “Oh, much better now. Do I look better?” and it gave all a chuckle.

I’m going to miss talking with her about nothing, buying her candy, donuts, and ice cream and going to Ranger games… but mostly I just miss her. She was both my sister, and my friend.