Life Outside the Cage

Sisterly relationships are forged through childhood memories. Playing house, school, and Kick the Can establishes a deep-rooted bond that time can never erase.

That is how I describe my connection with my sister. It was through our childhood play and vacations that we became intertwined. We both loved growing up in Colorado as we hit the slopes, floated the rivers, and created snow angels. We lived in an idyllic world.

My sister has always been my hero. As a young girl I attempted to emulate her in many ways including picking the same bicycle and joining the school band, which was not my forte as I squeaked and squawked for years. I desired to be like my sister. She was outgoing, smart, and funny.

As we grew, we argued like typical siblings, but we always had each other’s backs. No matter what happened, at the end of the day we were family.

My favorite memories with her include:

• Riding the Silverton Train through the mountains every summer


• Drinking tons of water and then listening to it slosh in our stomachs


• Shopping at Durango Music to purchase the new, popular 45 records


• Drinking hot chocolate in the ski lodge


• Floating down the Animas River on inner tubes


• Playing travel games in the back seat of the car during vacations


• Hanging out at her house during my summer breaks from teaching