Kisti has been my best friend and sister since I was born. I do not think I would have come back to this planet if it wasn't for her. Yet she never treated me like I was her "little Sister" and I her big one. We were friends who knew we knew each other from before.
In this time around, I remember when we were in Michigan. I was visiting one afternoon, and as I came in I could hear the boys chasing eachother around the kitchen, Kisti was keeping an eye on them while reading a book sitting on the counter with her feet up as they raced around. She smiled and said, "Hi. I am going to start dinner after I finish this chapter." The boys stopped to give me hugs and then continued their chase. I thought it was delightful.

I still remember the first time I met Kisti and Sidney - it was 2003 - Nate's birthday celebrations at the Clay Pit. Both of them were so warm and welcoming to me in their own way :)
There are so many moments after that evening that I remember being in awe of Kisti. There are so many things about her that totally fascinated me - her soft voice, her excited-twinkling eyes, love for anchovies :), her pie and stuffing making ability... (although she would almost always apologize for the looks... but to me they always looked so good).

I also remember the night of 8th of April, 2004, when we visited Kisti and Sidney in Los Fresnos, it was pretty late in the night and Kisti was up and she was talking with us, when out of the blue she asked us "so when are you two getting married"... i was so surprised and was smiling and Ben was smiling as well... and Ben replied - "its funny that you should ask..." :) We actually had gone to the court at 11am that very morning and signed the document.... till date I wonder, how did she know :)

Then there was the India trip... both Kisti and Sidney were so excited about the entire trip. I know for sure that she loved getting dressed in the sarees and even shopping for them :)...

There are so many-many other things as well... the first time Annika said "ta-da" with her hands raised - just like Kisti does it :)
The first time Kisti tried to feed Annika food and she sang the song "A little bit more, a little bit more.."

I am so proud that I am a part of this Beckwith family.

Kisti and Sid came to visit us in Brasilia in late spring 2000. Sid soon headed out to Manaus and the backwaters of the Amazon while Kisti stayed with us in our apartment as we finished up the school year. What struck me during this time was how gracious and easy going Kisti was-----so natural to have her around. I have no doubt that it would have continued to be easy for as long as she might have stayed. We headed off to the Pantanal when Sid returned and Kisti helped us appreciate the wildlife of that giant wetlands, curious about the various creatures, and she and Sid teamed up to identify over sixty different species of birds. Whatever snafus and adversities that occurred in our travels there seemed to roll right over Kisti as she basked in the natural oddities of that part of the world (giant anteaters, jabiru storks with with nests the size of a hottub, capibaras, caiman). Kisti continued her work as a nature docent to us when we frequently hung out with her and Sid in Los Fresnos------and made us feel at home in her soft-spoken, interested-in-us sort of way. Thanks for always, Kisti.

Art is not a separate entity. It is a universal gesture of prayer...And it harmonizes with the expression of life...Art is always there. There is always something done, something woven, something painted, something sculpted. ~Jose Rey Toledo, Jemez Pueblo

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