I love you both more than words can say…

There are days in our lives that simply do not make sense—days that feel like they shouldn’t be happening at all. Today is one of those days. The pain I am feeling is unbearable, and the grief is tremendous, cutting through my heart like a knife.

Today is the birthday of my youngest sisters, Sara and Vera. Yet, I cannot wish them a happy birthday because they are no longer here on this earth. I never imagined a reality where I would outlive them both. Sara was gone fifteen years ago, and her twin sister, Vera, left us exactly six months ago today.

I still remember the day they were born. We were at our family’s country home, where we did not have a phone. To get any news, I had to walk up the dirt road to the little bodega. I remember anxiously waiting there for the hospital to call with updates on my mother and the new baby. We all expected just one child. To everyone’s surprise, there were two. I remember running down that dirt road as fast as I could, shouting to all the neighbors, “It is not one, but two sisters!” I was bursting with excitement for my new twin sisters.

The day they came home was so special. They were tiny and fragile, but to me, they were the most beautiful babies I had ever seen. I loved them instantly. When I moved to the United States, I never stopped loving them, even from far away. I had so much hope for them. We all tried our best to support them through the difficult lives they ended up facing. Sadly, it wasn’t enough. Both of their lives ended tragically—one by suicide, and the other by an overdose. I deeply wish I could have done more to save them, but I tried my best.

Now, all I have are the memories of our summers at the beach, birthday celebrations, laughing late into the night as we tried to fall asleep, our funny shenanigans, and the many photographs I took of them over the years.

This morning, while looking for art to display on our television as I do every day, I came across a beautiful oil painting by Ukrainian artist Yana Sagan. Titled “Summer Evening” Summer Walk with Bicycles (2026), it depicts two girls riding their bicycles into the sunset down a country road. Instantly, I saw my sisters. It was exactly how I want to imagine them, and it is how I hope they are spending their birthday today.

Vera and Sara, if you can hear my thoughts, I want to wish you both a happy birthday. I hope you are riding your bicycles together on a beautiful late-summer day, heading straight into the most exquisite sunset. You are finally free from all your suffering, reunited forever.

I love you both more than words can ever say. Happy Birthday, my dear, sweet sisters.