Two years ago, the week of my birthday, I found my beautiful sister Renee' Bushong through a miracle involving Morocco, Eddie Kochak and the unbelievable maze of belly dance history that has enveloped my life like a spiderweb. Renee' and I were entangled together in this web.

When Renee' was 18 she survived uterine cancer. She had her adoption files opened for medical purposes. She eventually met her birth mother who revealed to her the terrible heartbreaking experience she went through with our father Samir Al-Tawil. Through that info, Renee' went on a journey and had countless interviews with musicians and others in our world in hopes of finding siblings.

Renee' and I were thrilled to find each other in 2006. By my birthday week of 2007, we had a fabulous meeting. I didn't get to be with her much. We thought we had all the time in the world. I saw her in July of last year and then on February 15th we spent the most beautiful day in NC. It was like magic. We bonded more than ever. I did not have to know her all my life to love her and know that she was my sister.

Two weeks later, her heartbroken boyfriend Terry called me with the terrible news. On Friday, February 22nd they were in a terrible car accident on black ice. Renee' was killed instantly.

Renee' was the most optimistic person I ever knew. Her eyes were dreamy and filled with promise and love. I will never forget her. Our sister Marta is in Paris and devastated that she will never get to meet Renee'.

Before she left my house in February she said, "I may not be so religious 'Z'- or go to church very often. But I have to believe there was some kind of blessing in our finding each other." We hugged. I followed her out to the car and I blew a kiss as she went away. I never saw her again.

She was a tattoo artist in Indiana and worked with the mentally impaired.

Today is my birthday and I'm without her...but her memory is "tattoo'd" on my heart.