They say that you shouldn’t have a favorite sibling, but I do — my little sister. She’s pushing 50 now, but she will always be my “baby sister.”
She was 13 when I became yet another statistical victim of an unjust system, and one of my greatest fears was that she would make the same mistakes my mother and older sisters made when it came to men. The thought of this little girl — whom I loved so much that I would carry her two blocks to school so she wouldn’t have to walk in the snow — being trapped in an abusive relationship, shook me to the core of my being. By the grace of God, that didn’t happen, but there are other young women in my family who weren’t so lucky. And I know my presence could have made a difference.
I also was not present for my mother’s passing in 2002, followed by my older brother’s in 2004. His passing left me as the Patriarch of the family — a responsibility I take seriously, even from behind these walls. It is a responsibility that forces me to ask myself, would my fatherless nephew had gone to prison if I was out there? Would my favorite niece be involved with a man unworthy of her? And the question that haunts me the most: Would my son still be a stranger?
Yeah, I am definitely more important to and for my family out there, and so are you.
Tony Enis N82931
P.O. Box 1000
Menard, IL 62259
Visit my website: http://freetonyenis.com
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Very well written my cousin. We certainly do need you out here. Much love. -Kimberly Gail