Tag: sister

My star of a sister Stella

I haven’t posted for a while… although there is so much I wanted to write about (interesting books I read, things I got to do, ask for ideas for career/city/country move inspiration), but I didn’t get the chance. Will do after I come back from my summer visit to my beautiful island.

Before I go on writing about my sister, I hope you are all well and you haven’t been affected by the most recent terrorist attacks. If you have (and you might have, even if you were not in London on that horrific night, indirect trauma exposure can cause PTSD), I hope you stay strong, I cannot even imagine how it might feel. I wasn’t there but I was genuinely terrified on Saturday night, I hardly got any sleep. As most of us, I have friends and relatives in London and I sweat worrying about them until I knew they were safe (especially my cousin who only recently moved to London, I don’t even want to say out loud what horrible thoughts were going through my mind). I’m not going to say any more on that but I posted my thoughts on FB. (https://www.facebook.com/eleni.zenonos/posts/10154834034647326?pnref=story)

And one more thing, I cannot not mention the General Election. I unfortunately found out after I booked my ticket home and after the registration deadline that I’m allowed to vote as I’m a Commonwealth citizen. I really don’t know what will happen with Brexit, the NHS, the economy but what I’d say if you are registered to vote, vote for policies, not people.

A year ago I flew home the day of the referendum and I was shocked with the result (incidentally I fly home the day before the General Election this week). It goes to show that you should expect the unexpected, so if you care, please go and vote. I sincerely hope that the United Kingdom is not turned into a dictatorship state.

Now back to the purpose of this post…

A while ago I posted about my youngest sister and I wanted to post about my second sister, Stella but I was waiting for her birthday. Well I will be with her and the rest of the family spending the day at the beach on her birthday, so I decided to post this now, just before I meet her at the airport on Wednesday!

Stella, our little star is the prime example of love, caring, devotion and sensitivity.

She was always a bit wild and short-tempered (and stubborn, our family trend). She never enjoyed reading or studying but she studied what she always wanted, culinary arts and she is now a cook to the delight of all of us enjoying her delicious creations.

Since she was a child she always tried to hide her sensitive side but her kindness and love always shines through. I’m not exaggerating to the least to say she has been the rock of the whole family, close and extended.

Every time anyone in the family or her friends/colleagues is not feeling well, she is the first to go and help. She is the one sitting with them at the hospital ward, in A&E, she is the one driving hours to get to them. She is the one bringing friends or colleagues who have nowhere to go for Christmas or New Year’s eve to spend it with the family.

She was recently telling me how she spent hours with the team of the dog shelter she volunteers for, looking for an abandoned dog that got its head trapped in a plastic bottle and how happy she was when they found and rescued it- they are still looking for a foster home for it if you live in Cyprus and you can help.(https://www.facebook.com/elena.elen.585/posts/1459388790795049?pnref=story?

We used to fight a lot when we were kids but as we grew up we became best friends and I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She supported and supports me with literally everything even though we live thousands of miles apart. She is always there for me and I’ll always be there for her.

Although she wants to come across as tough, we all know what a sensitive soul she is.

She is my shining star (she couldn’t have had a more suitable name) and I couldn’t be more proud of her. I love her to the moon and back. And can’t wait to spend the next 10 days with her and the rest of my family and friends. Love you Αρφούι!

If there are people like her in the world, terrorism and racism and all these social diseases, cannot prevail, they just can’t!

My next post will be after the Snowdonia Climb a group of colleagues and I are doing for a wonderful cause telling you all about it! (for more details and if you want to donate/share this is our gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/Snowdonia-Superstars-for-Tempo-Wellbeing)

Love you all x

 

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Happy birthday my little duckling! 

20 years ago, when I was about 11, my parents asked me if I wanted to get another dog as we gave away our little Steve because he was too naughty, or another little brother or sister instead. I wanted both but I was only allowed to choose one so I went for another sibling. To this day, my parents still claim that having my little sister was my decision!

I still remember the day my mum peed on that stick and found out she was pregnant. We were screaming and laughing excited for the new addition in our little family.

A year later, 19 years ago, on this day, 17th of February 1998, on a sunny Tuesday morning, my sister and I woke up but our parents were not home. My cousin who studied to become a teacher at the time was there instead and told us that our mum went into labour! So after a brief stop at my cousin, her brother’s high school to give him his spare pair of glasses, we arrived at the clinic. I still remember that rare feeling of sheer happiness, waiting impatiently for our little baby to arrive.

My mum never had contractions naturally so she walked and down the corridor with an IV in hand, waiting for the little sister to decide to make an appearance!

My cousin who was to be the little sis godmother, who is also my godson’s mum wanted to stay for the birth but she had a lecture and the doctor, Dr Papapetrou reassured her that the baby wasn’t gonna come any time soon. And my beloved aunt Anna, my cousin’s mum, mum’s sister who was there when my sister and I were born was there once again with my mum, to hold her hand and welcome the little sis.

Little did the doctor know! 10-15 minutes later, at 9:20am, little Anna arrived in this world! She was a tiny little thing, with bright red cheeks and rich dark hair. I remember watching the nurse through the glass changing her nappy, I couldn’t believe that was my little sister.

For the first month or so I was scared to hold her. I used to bathe her in the washing clothes basket because she was so small and I was terrified I might drop her.

Over the years I changed her nappies, I sang her to sleep, I was her babysitter, entertainer, her first teacher, her first friend. I was lucky to be old enough to remember her first laughter, her christening, her first words, her first walk, her first day at school…

She was the youngest of the whole family and we all loved to spoil her. And she was very spoilt! But she was raised with love, values and respect and I’m so proud she grew to be an amazing young woman, although in my eyes she is still a baby.

And amazing she is. She excelled at school, she learned to play the violin, the flute and the piano (oh my she used to play for hours, without anyone asking her to and we used to beg her to stop, but nothing could stop her!) she learned to sing, she won awards in Maths and writing competitions, she got involved in a lot of conferences and  events, and she got a place at uni, now on her first year studying what she always wanted, Maths. And recently got a slot at the uni radio station to present her own music show.

I’ve been away for years and that meant I missed a lot of these amazing moments, but I was there for her graduation last summer. It was very emotional and wonderful watching my little duckling walk down the same steps of the same high school my cousins my other sister and I went to, get her certificate with honours and sing in front of all the proud parents, family and teachers who were there that night.

She made and is making us all proud not only because of all her achievements but because she grew to be a loving, respectful and caring person. She still has to learn a lot in life but I knew nothing about life when I was 19 either, I still don’t know much, and I can’t wait to see what she will come up with next!

Yeah, she can sometimes be annoying as she got the stubbornness we all inherited in the family but I’m really proud (I might have mentioned that too many times already) of my little sister.

I’m proud of both of my sisters (blog about my other awesome sister coming soon) and  feel amazingly blessed and lucky to be their eldest sister.

They are the best gifts my incredible parents gave me.

Happy birthday! Χρόνια πολλά μικρή μου. Love you to the moon and back.