Elizabeth Ann Braden

To my amazing Annie Bananie

 My cool, city cousin, I always looked  up to you. You made me laugh, you made me cry, you brought the party when you arrived. Your smile, easy laugh, brutal honesty, sage advice and fun-loving attitude will be with me forever. 

Our first decade, you were our summer sister. From underwater tea parties, back dives off the raft, card playing, dress up, and endless hours of swimming. We shared it all. Even being thrown into the lake on our almost-shared birthday after late July cottage cookouts.

In our teens, we lived closer and saw each other more, for Christmas, at spring break, shopping trips in Toronto. The cottage became more about the perfect tan, sun kissed hair and waterskiing.

In my 20’s we shifted to a bigger world, exploring London, England, dancing in Cuba, visits to Vancouver after I moved west. It was always fun and exciting! We always laughed a lot.

In my 30’s and 40’s I had kids to raise and nights to fall asleep at 8:30 so tired, you adored them, were supportive and found them funny, you were excited for their next steps in life, and we started to renew the fun party nights, laughing into the wee hours at the cottage.

 Now in my 50’s, I suddenly don’t have you anymore. We were just entering the next phase when I knew we would see each other more often again. I always imagined watching the sunset at Hall’s Lake with a G&T in hand, laughing and telling stores well into Our 80’s…just like we watched our grandma do with her sisters.

One day, the depth of my sadness will lighten, but that day is a long way away.  I will do my best to embrace life like you always have. I love you now and always. I will miss you forever.

 Your cousin, Lisa