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I Remember

I remember that Florida vacation when my brother, Dave, and I played in the ocean. A wave knocked us both down, and he landed on my leg, twisting my knee painfully. My dad carried me the rest of the week whenever we had any distance to walk. I was twelve and thoroughly embarrassed. Now it's one of my most treasured memories of my dad. He died five years later.

I remember my last vacation with my dad. We went to Washington, D.C. He was so sick, but he refused to accept defeat.

I remember my dad laughing at a remark that Dave made about the quality of McDonald's hamburgers. He laughed so hard he cried. I'd never seen him do that before.

I remember taking my Donald Duck umbrella outside on a windy day and trying to fly like Mary Poppins (it didn't work).

I remember my brother, Ed, watching Batman. I thought it was a stupid show, and with only one TV and Ed being the oldest, he got to watch what he wanted to watch. I was out of luck - no Gilligan's Island for me.

I remember drawing an imaginary line down the middle of our double bed, so that my sister, Connie, and I would each stay on our half.

I remember Connie crossing that line when she came home late from babysitting or a date and putting her cold feet on my legs.

I remember making beds out of our lawn chairs so my three sisters and I could sleep on the screened-in porch in the heat of summer before we had air-conditioning.

I remember stealing coins out of my mom's purse. I'd use them as the eyes, nose, and mouth on faces I'd draw and then give to her as gifts.

I remember the first day I got to decide for myself what I would wear.

I remember my sister, Judy, spitting toothpaste into my hair when we both bent over the bathroom sink to spit at the same time.

I remember my sister, Debbie, and my dad's relationship. I think he liked her best. She would be silly with him.

I remember all eight of us playing games some nights after dinner.

I remember growing up in a home filled with imperfect people, but they were people who loved each other. . . and I will be forever grateful for that.

Comments

  1. I'm soooo glad you didn't write about what a mean big sis I was to you in so many ways. My heart still aches at some of the ways I took advantage of you. "Imperfect" sounds so minor to how I acted sometimes. But you know what? God is God and somehow He managed to let you know I really was, and am now more than ever, your biggest fan who loves you purely and deeply.

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