The Rerouted Skytress

J & J. No, it’s not Johnson & Johnson. Although, I do love their products. Especially, their dental floss. I love their dental floss! No, J & J are my nieces….Jill and Jamie. They are Irish twins. For one week in July they are the same age. I guess, then, it should be…J & J & J. Jill, Jamie and July. Jill…or Jillian is the older of the two. Jill is the sweetest person around. If she has to share her age with Jamie for a few days, I know it is fine with her. The Irish twins also have a younger sister, Megan. Megan will get her own post in February. I’m sure she will prefer this much more.

On Sunday, Jill got her own age back. She turned 23. Jill will be graduating from Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville in May. She will graduate with degrees in Music Education and English Education. Jill plays the violin…and the piano. Although, she readily admits her sister Jamie is the piano player in the family. Jill has been coming over to our house to practice her violin since the pandemic. We love when she comes over to play her violin. My brother Brian and our dog Finley love to go downstairs and listen to her play. It’s been one of their highlights of the quarantine.

Jamie will graduate from Missouri State in May. Hopefully, not on the same day as Jill. Jamie is majoring in Electronic Arts and Video Studies. She is going to be the next Steven Spielberg or Nora Ephron. Her creativity boggles my mind. Jamie has been making videos since she was young. One day we were coming home from the Irish store. Jamie asked if we could stop at their house on the way over to our house. She wanted to get some supplies to make a movie. Within hours, she and her sisters had a movie made. And it was great. It was a parody of Frozen’s, “Do You Want To Build A Snowman?” Her’s was, “Do You Want to Hide a Body?” It was an extremely funny and very well produced video. I was flabbergasted by what she was producing at such a young age. Her creativity has only exploded in college. I can’t wait to hear about her senior project. Right now it is hush-hush. As soon as she is allowed to tell us, it will certainly become my favorite Skytress jumpseat topic.

There is a picture of Jill and Jamie when they were little on the shelf in our family room. I took it one day when they went off to dance class. It makes me smile every time I look at it. When my sister said they wanted to take dance I almost fell over. Our family is filled with two-left feet people. I was in awe of them at their recitals. When I was their age, I believe I was still holding on to my Mom’s leg. If I could have held on to my Mom’s leg in first grade when I had to dance the Mexican Hat dance with Mark Callahan, I would have done it. But, Jill and Jamie shine in the spotlight. And I am not just saying that because I am their biased Aunt. I’ve seen how happy they are performing for others throughout their lives. In high school Jamie was on the flag team…. even though she had planned to play the drums in the marching band. In fact, she actually did play the drums in the marching band…. one time. Being a very smart girl, Jamie realized very quickly, flags were a lot easier to carry around the football field than drums. Plus, she loved putting on her performance makeup to dance around the field. Anyone who knows Jamie….knows Jamie is a makeup connoisseur. Jill has always played her violin in both high school and college symphonies. She amazes me how she flutters about talking to her family and friends moments before her performances….then sits down and plays complicated symphonic pieces effortlessly. As a music major, Jill had to learn to play all symphonic instruments. Most college kids come home with laundry at the holiday breaks. Jill came home with so many instruments once, she barely had room in her car to bring her dirty laundry home. Her sisters loved trying to play all the different instruments. Their dog Charlie was not a fan….especially of the horn instruments.

Jill is also a huge reader. Since she was a little girl, Jill has carried a book around with her. I sometimes tease her about this. But, mostly I am impressed. For many years it was the Harry Potter books. She has read them all several times. Jill is the only person I know that can read a book several times…and enjoy it as much as the first time she read it. I know without a doubt, Jill’s students won’t be able to get away with Cliff Notes. She knows books inside and out. I chuckle at the thought of one of her students trying to get away without reading the entire book. Sweetly, Jill still checks books out at the library. She reminds me of Ron in this aspect. He loved going to the library to check out books. He was also an avid reader. Unlike Jill, he was not an avid writer. Once when Jill was in elementary school she had papers scattered about on the floor. My sister was going to clean them up. Jill told my sister not to throw the papers away. She was writing a sequel to one of her favorite books. Never in my life had I ever thought of doing this. I remember thinking then,….this was a brilliant idea. YOU get to decide what happens next to your favorite characters!

The Irish twins also sing in the choir at the Saturday family Mass. Well, at least they did until COVID-19 arrived. This is another trait that stupefies me. I like to sing. I’m horrible at it, though. The thought of singing in front of others terrifies me. I always tell people…. the performers need people to applaud the singers. I am the applauder in life. Well, at Mass I give the approving smile…applauding during Mass would be odd. I am odd…just not that odd. The girls Catholic religion is very important to them. In high school Jamie would read the Liturgy of the Word at Mass. Every once in awhile before Mass, she would check the pronunciation of some of the cities in the scriptures. There are some doozies in there. During Mass, I would hold my breath for her as she came to the difficult word. Each time she spoke with such conviction, that even if she said it wrong, no one would have ever questioned her. Many Saturdays, Jill was behind Jamie on the Alter, as the Alter girl. Jill had no formal training as an Alter girl. Father Benedict needed someone one to fill in one day….Jill agreed to do it. Father helped her through the Mass. Jill was a quick learner. Eventually Jill became Father’s Benedict’s go-to gal. She even mentored the younger kids so Father Benedict would have enough Alter people to serve at Mass when she went off to college.

When I sold my house in Cincinnati and moved back home to help take care of my Dad, I was blessed to be able to help take care of my nieces, too. When my sister had to see patients, the girls would hang out at our house. I cherish the memories of them doing their homework at the dining room table. There was always an abundance of laughter. I delightedly helped teach them fractions through baking. I still covet my recipe book Jill gave me when she was in elementary school. She chose to put the recipe of the Mississippi Mud Cake we make for her birthday in there. We make it every year. This year Jill wanted to make a cookie cake. So we did! Jamie made her own birthday cake this year, as she quarantined at school. She used her cake pans I gave her. She said she worked hard at mixing the batter. Her sister Megan talked her out of bringing my electric mixer with her to school. Little did Megan, or any of us know, the virus would hit and we would all be quarantining and needing to bake comfort food. Jamie, of course, had sparkle candles on her cake. We wouldn’t have expected anything less. Jamie is also a sparkle loving girl.

The Irish twins, including their sister Megan, have filled our lives with sweetness, laughter and so much love. They will humor me by coming to the Farmer’s Market or running to a store with me. We always make an extra stop for something fun along the way. Favorite Aunts do these things. Or so I tell them. The girls gave me extra love when I needed it when my Dad and Ron died. They are the best at mending broken hearts. They gave me the best part of their hearts until mine could function again. The Irish twins are always cheering each other on in life. They unselfishly cheer on everyone they meet in life. It’s their special gift. Not surprisingly, they don’t even know the special power of their friendship and kindness. Individually Jill and Jamie are extraordinary. Together they are a mighty duo of sisterness. J&J are the Irish twins who are changing the world for the better. And I can’t wait until next year when they are the same age once again….Aunts like these quirky things in life. Well, at least this Aunt, who dearly loves her nieces.