Love Wins
I am going to depart from my normal topical blogs to a tribute blog. We all have people in our lives that bring out the best in us – that see in us the infinite potential that waits behind our muddled thinking – that Love us with an eternal perspective and appreciation. Such a person in my life, was my sister, Orlene Makinson (1932-2022) who transitioned this week to life after life. We had many years between our ages which gave me a blend of mothering energy, with a model of a woman who moved past the barriers that existed in her time.
She was a public-school educator in inner city Detroit for many years – dedicated to the study of languages including Latin and Spanish. She loved teaching and not only facilitated learning but also fun in the classroom. Latin was not studied by the time I reached high school so forgive the misspelling of this song- but she taught her students (and me) to sing Oh you beautiful doll (o du bella pupa) in Latin and with Gusto.
During her time in the British Isles as an exchange teacher, she fostered lifelong friendships in the Emerald Isle and was presented to the Queen Mother as her term ended. During that year she sent me tapes of her experiences and introduced me to important people in her life – including the headmaster at the school in which she taught, who also sang to me…a little girl far away in the Midwest.
She was the influence who gave me new experiences including my first play on stage (Camelot), my first plane trip to Florida to visit cousins, and hours of listening to Neil Diamond’s Hot August Night’s album while dancing in her living room. We had High tea at the Compass Rose in San Francisco and shared a love for Lemon Curd.
She was a constant source of encouragement, support and Love and she never ceased to encourage me to continue pursuing all that mattered to me in every way. You can tell from the image that we resembled each other to the point that I had a perfect stranger walk up to me in Zurich Switzerland to ask me if I was Orlene’s little sister. (good grief- thank goodness I wasn’t misbehaving at the time.)
Indeed, I am her little sister – and my heart, though heavy with sadness, is also tinged with the joy of knowing someone so kind and wonderful and being part of her one precious life. I figure she is traveling in good company to the new – following Desmond Tutu – holding the hand of Thich Nhat Hahn and humming along with Meatloaf.
God’s speed my beloved sister and thank you for everything. For the rest of you – be sure to tell the important people in your life that you love them.
