The Sister I Never Had

Have you ever had someone who brought out the best in you while others were putting you down? Who encouraged you to pursue your talents? Who spoke up for you when you were too shy to say anything? Who wanted you to grow into a confident and capable person? Ruth Wangire was all that to me.

I first met Ruth in April 2007 when I joined the 9:30 a.m. English service choir of All Saints' Cathedral Nairobi. She was a soprano in the choir, and I was a shy young man about to enrol at JKUAT to pursue an engineering degree.

Soon after joining the choir, I was put in a fellowship group for choir members that Ruth headed. It was then that I started noting her magnificent qualities as she helped me come out of my shell.

During one fellowship session we had after a church service for instance, she asked me which hymn I had liked in the service. If my memory serves me well, I told them I had liked the wonderful old hymn "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken".

Then during another fellowship session, she had us read the story of Joseph about how he resisted the advances of Potiphar's wife on several occasions. I was smart enough to realize it was me she wanted the lesson of the story to hit home.

When I finally started donning the choir uniform on Sundays in December 2007, Ruth was happy. She was even happier when I started accompanying the choir on the organ. I fondly remember her referring to me as "organist" while addressing our fellowship group members.

Since I didn't have a sister, I feel Ruth is the sister I never had - understanding, encouraging and supportive. Her love and guidance continue to inspire me, and I'm grateful for the special bond we shared.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story, you might also enjoy "When Honesty Failed Me".