Saving Memories for my Sister

I have been fairly limited in what details I have put in my journals through the years in an effort to protect the privacy of myself and my family. I have also made a conscious decision to not post a picture of myself. That has been due to pride. I believe 1998 was the last year I liked a picture of myself.

But today, I am breaking with tradition. The picture below is of me and my younger sister taken earlier this month. (I am the fluffy one on the left.) Serious health issues have followed her throughout her life and now they have robbed her of most memories.  Some days are better than others. We live hundreds of miles from one another and so our time together now is even more precious.  While she has experienced more hardships than many in her short 50 years, she has remained staunchly optimistic in her outlook.  She is no longer able to keep thoughts in order to maintain any meaningful conversation but she enjoys hearing stories and is always quick to laugh. I plan to tell her sweet husband where to find this entry and share it with her.

These stories are for you, Laurie Green! (Not her real name.)

Remember when we wrote on the walls at Diane's house? She was getting ready to wallpaper that bedroom and all of the cousins were gathered for Aunt Lizzie's funeral. Everyone was taking their turn purposely creating memorable graffiti.  When it was your turn, you were standing on the bed, drawing on the wall.  We had all taken turns and at this point you were trying to show our Northern cousins where you lived in Florida. You drew a rather pitiful version of the state and when you added the Florida keys just below the southern tip, the picture took on an adult rating. Someone suggested you stop drawing and when you realized what you had created, you frantically tried to adjust the picture and it only got worse.  Soon, you and the rest of us were laughing hysterically. I have a picture somewhere of you rolling on the bed, red faced and laughing with the infamous picture behind you on the wall.

I should apologize to you again for all the times you suffered because of my weak stomach. I always got carsick when we traveled and typically I was sitting next to you when I realized Daddy needed to pull over and too many times he did not get enough warning. For a few years you said you would never have children because you did not want to deal with any nausea. I am glad you got over it because you have two great kids.

Remember the private plane trip we took over Dallas getting to see Southfork and all the other DFW points of interest? Once again I have to apologize to you for getting airsick. So sorry I ruined your purse.

Remember the tomato and vegetable stand we helped "run" when we visited our cousins in Delaware? They hated to have to take their turn sitting there on the side of the highway but we thought it was so much fun. They grew the best vegetables in their garden.

Remember how Bobby used to gather up buckets of dead jelly fish when we went to the beach and then pour them on us girls when we were trying to sunbath?

And, then there were the games we used to play in the basement of our grandparent's home.  We would use the old furniture like it was a cemetery and then run around playing a version of tag when Frankenstein "rose from the grave."  Oooo - spooky.

Speaking of spooky. Do you remember how I used to make you pick a finger and I would sing the song assigned to that finger?  It was like a hand juke box. And, one of the fingers was always the theme from The Twilight Zone. You never knew when I was going to spring that one on you but I scared you every time. I would promise that The Twilight Zone song was not one of the choices but it always was. 

That's all for today, Miss Green. I will share more stories at another time.  Remember I love you.

Tags: Diabetes, MS, memories, vacation, Twilight Zone, Florida Keys, sisters