January 3, 2022

Opal feels the gaps more keenly than the others and she is compelled to try to be whatever is needed to close the tears. When Pearly passed, it was Opal who assumed the duties in the Watching Chair. Bella's demise saw Opal trying to create group cuddles by wiggling between the Sibe Sisters. 

I love My Sparkling Girl's desire to "fix" what is missing but I try to tell her that she is not a replacement, that she is a wonderful miracle in her own right. She feels my loss after 17 years with Siku but does not quite understand that the pain is the price of love and friendship. "You cannot erase what I am feeling about Siku," I tell her, "but that grief will NEVER stop me from totally and completely loving you for being My Opal, my Sparkling Girl."

"When you come and sit next to me, it is YOU that fills my heart, not thoughts of anyone else. When you hold my hand or rest your chin on my arm, it is YOUR warmth and love that chases away the chill of a rainy day. There is only ONE Opal in the entire Universe and I am blessed that she has chosen to spend her life with ME. You are my special girl in a way no one else can, or ever will, be. Rest against me while I work and let us just be together."