Sacrament of Confirmation

My niece received the Sacrament of Confirmation this morning. Dressed fancy and her hair done up, she walked up to the altar to be "Sealed with the Holy Spirit" by the Archdiocese of New York.
Her Mom would have been proud how her first born grew up to be such a beautiful girl.

1996 seemed liked just yesterday when I was holding her in my arms when she was born. She was my sister's first child. She was my parent's first grandchild. She was my first niece. I was living at home at the time because I was only two years into my TV job earning entry level pay. The money did not matter because seeing my niece all the time is payment enough. My mom was the baby sitter while my sister worked and I worked the night shift gathering news for the 10pm newscast. This gave me a lot of "Big Uncle" quality time.
At the time, I would of never imagined 10 years later I would have two kids of my own. It was the farthest thing from my mind and to think my kids go to the same school as my niece and nephew today.

My niece will be a freshman in High School next year. Scary to think she was just a baby not too long ago. Since she is the oldest, she has a lot of cousins that look up to her as the wise and all knowing teenager. She is in the National Honor Society in her school and she personally tutors my daughter after school with math and reading. What a great cousin! I intentionally put my kids in the same school with my niece and nephew, so they can spend quality time together. There are closer schools where we live but I think the decision was all worthwhile.

2006 seemed like just yesterday when my sister died of breast cancer. During my news career, I saw death and destruction. People at the worst and best of times. Car accident here and missing person there. I did not think it would happen to me.
I am well aware cancer strikes anyone. The cancer might as well as struck everybody in my entire family because our minds were so filled with grief. I am a grown adult with the desensitized mind of a journalist with 12 years of news gathering. I was devastated. I was more devastated to think my brother in law lost his wife and my niece and nephew have no longer a mother.
I know she is looking down from heaven with a proud heart.

You can see more of the proud moment here.