Sweet -- Joe Hills

Joe showing his enthusiasm for Jenny's 40th . . .
(actually, showing his mad skills on the dance floor -- Lake Tahoe, August 2005)

. . . Bitter, Astringent, Salty, Sour, and Pungent.  The rest of the Hills family has those five tastes covered, but thankfully God sent some dessert at the end. With Jenny came the Sweetness that made our family whole.

Jenny has always been a great blessing to our family and everyone around her. Distance and age difference cannot erase the memories of caring for her, and of her caring for me, for that matter.  Jenny's love for me was special, and formative I think -- a kind of love I've not felt from anyone else -- the kind of love that can only come from a little sister.

The closeness of our youth -- me foregoing teenage nights out for an evening with my five year old sister, albeit at her insistence -- gave way to following our own paths, and raising our own families. As someone remarked to me recently about Jenny (and Eric) "Rarely, have I seen such good parenting," it struck me just how special and remarkable of a mother Jenny is. Such warmth and emotion and caring and intelligence. 

Jenny, your children are lucky, and we all are blessed that you were born to us 40 years ago, and still give your sweetness to us today.

I Love You,

Joe