A Precious Gift from my Sister

     This morning, I came across a poem my sister wrote for me... I don't know of any other poem she ever wrote.... she may have, but this is the only one I have ever seen. I know that writing poetry wasn't something she did often. She wrote this in 1997 and gave it to me, and I think she told me it was her very first poem she had ever written. I had honestly forgotten she wrote it until a few months after her death in 2009, when I accidentally came upon it while going through some old letters. It was as if she wrote it 12 years previously as a gift for me to find it on that particular day! And maybe today, too....

     I decided I wanted to post it here to make it nice and easy for me to find. It is such an encouragement to me when I feel sad or lonely or insignificant. True, it does make me cry and I grieve a little, but in the end, I leave with my heart feeling a little edified and encouraged. I am blessed because I know that most people are not told that they have been important to someone.

     This is a precious gift from my sister.

You Are So Very Important To Me 

                   by Melinda S. Oviedo

I've brought to you my insecurities
     and laid them carefully around you,
     hoping that you would deal with them gently.

You stood beside me,
      when so many have walked away.

You sheltered me
      with affection and I felt more secure.

You did not treat me with insignificance,
      but you showed me a brighter side,
      and helped me to make corrections along the way.

You hold a vital and inspirational role in my life,
      and I wanted you to know
      there are so many times when I forget
      to tell you just how important
      you are to me.

Under His Wing......