VALERIE DENISE (HAWKS) SANDERS

DAY 5

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1962 had to be one of the most exciting Thanksgivings in the Hawks family. On that day, instead of a turkey, I got a baby sister named Valerie. I had just turned 5 years old and nothing could be better than my very own sister. Everything about her was wonderful. She was so tiny, just a little over 6 lbs with baby-fine hair that would soon turn into golden natural curls. I could not even imagine how thankful I would be 45 years later on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2007 to have such a wonderful sister and friend named Val.

It was such a privilege to be raised in a large family, 1 boy, and 5 girls. You learned so many valuable life lessons that stay with you as you move into adulthood. You learn to share, accept different ideas and personalities, and to compromise on unimportant issues. You learn how to rejoice together in each victory and sympathize with each other in the hurtful times. Most of all you realize that if you have a sister, you will always have a friend.

I love Val, she drives me crazy, I love Val, I’m so jealous of her, I love Val !!!! Everyone in the family gravitates toward her. If you want to share something exciting, call Val. If you want to find out something juicy, call Val. During depressing times in Minnesota, she was my rock. Val had the good sense to NOT tell me to pray about the situation. Instead, she was outraged with me and offered to come and help me figure out a horrible fate for such horrible people. She has loved my kids and shared in the joy I felt when my grandchildren were born.

Val is talented in so many ways. She has written several hilarious personal family stories for me as Christmas and Birthday presents. If I need a good laugh, I go back to the archives and read them. She is a great cook; much better than Paula Deen or Rachel Ray. For several years she had her own catering business. Under threat of bodily harm, I have never given her meatball recipe to anyone. Val can sew and is quite crafty in many ways.

The crowning achievement of her life has to be that she is a great wife to Jeff, a wonderful mother to Jonathon, Andrew, Tara and Eric, a fantastic mother-in-law to Sarah, Loren and Justin, a fabulous grandmother to Charlie, Levi and soon to arrive, Emma Grace. In her busy life she has still found time to be the sweetest daughter, daughter-in-law and sister to Susan, Mike, Deb, Nita and Amy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAL.

(It’s also the 44th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination, you must hate this every year.)