When I was 12 years old my folks had me stay a couple of weeks with the family of a man that my dad worked with. Their daughter and I weren’t instant friends but now 48 years we’re family. I’ve known her as my sister for a great many years.

Approximately ten years ago I flew to New Mexico and planned to drive back to Colorado with her. On the way, the snow was falling heavily. Not long after we were on Raton Pass we heard that it was closed due to bad weather. (Raton Pass is 180 miles between Raton, NM and Trinidad, CO.

I believe we averaged about 20 miles per hour for about 75 miles. As my sister drove, I would unwrap and feed her tootsie rolls, reach out with the scraper, scrape ice off the windshield and keep ice off of the windshield wipers so that she could see and … keep her entertained. It’s what we do.

About five years ago I was at her house for a visit. One evening we sat outside around the fire pit. My sister, my neice and I attempted many times to get the wood in the fire pit lit, but apparently it wasn’t in the cards.

For hours we sat around this fire pit, with no fire, laughing, crying and reminiscing. That’s what we do.