“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
‘Pooh!’ he whispered.
‘Yes, Piglet?’
‘Nothing,’ said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw.
‘I just wanted to be sure of you.’”

The birthday card with this little story sits in a spot where I see it every day. On it, an adorable little Pooh and Piglet walk hand in hand toward the sun. I cherish this card because it was from my beloved little sister Judy. Today, January 26, is her birthday. Judy passed away very suddenly in 2009 of pancreatic cancer and I miss her and long to speak with her every day.

There were four kids in our family and Judy was the youngest. As a little girl, she just loved A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books; I have two of her dog-eared volumes sitting on a shelf near me as I write this. Judy had a theory that our family mirrored the characters in Milne’s stories. I was Piglet, philosophical and reflective. Our sister, Stephanie, was Tigger, filled with energy and enthusiasm.Our brother Peter was Eeyore, loyal and reliable. And Judy? Judy was Pooh: that lovable, ever hopeful bear, who was forever chasing the sweet honeypot of life.

Judy was a gifted writer with a wonderful imagination — and a fountain of creativity. Whenever I needed help with my work or with a fresh new idea or angle on something, Judy was my go-to girl. Not only was she gifted, she was generous. And smart. And witty. And everything wonderful.

Soon after she passed away, I had an experience that really lifted my spirits. I wrote a story about it called, “Tell Me You’re OK.” In honor of Judy’s birthday, I’ve been inspired to share it here. Please feel free to pass it on to anyone you know who might find it hopeful or consoling. To read the story, just go to the archives under January, 2011 and find the post with the same name as this one, “Beautiful Girl.” In that earlier post you’ll find a Yellow VW button you can click.

Many thanks to Kelly Weatherby (Rdesignonline.com), who created my wonderful blog banner, for helping me put this unpublished story up on my site.