The best gifts cannot be bought or paid for....

i read something a while back on someone else's blog about happiest childhood memories. i find this is often the case here in the blogosphere. childhood memories. it's a fantastic place to purge. a vast group confession...but it's wonderful and awe inspiring. i am constantly taken by the wit, humor and honesty of Heather and the intelligent, courageous candor of jane.look at what postsecret has sparked. i can only imagine what
ask ro is like from the receiving end. but i digress. let me tell you of a remarkable gift my sister made for me.

some christmas' back, i was helping her carry in her parcels. one part 'glad to see you', one part 'glad to step out of mom's overcrowded sweltering house for some fresh air '. she turns to me with this funny look and says "this is a special gift for you", and hands me a jar of handmade candy.


"oh, sweet! thanks", i say and turn to the house.
she grabs my arm and says, "no, it's really special. i want you to open it now".
okay, whatever....my sister has a certain flair about her and she IS my big sister so i'm rather used to following her lead.



"open the red one first. in fact, just open the red one and save the rest for rainy days", she adds.

okay, what-ever you wierdo, i'm thinking but then as i open the jar and reach in to grab it, i realize they aren't candies. oh no....much much sweeter than any ole candy. it was a little note wrapped in foil. the first one was my sisters first memory of me; the memory of her sitting on the neighbors porch, waiting for me to come home from the hospital.

there aren't words for how that felt or continues to feel when i open one of those special little treats. i was speechless just then and all i could do was hug her and cry. she told me she could have filled several jars with her favorite childhood memories with me. like what? like everything. my big sister remembers EVERYTHING.



"i remember at my ninth birthday party you were dressed up like a little mexican, with a sombrero and big bushy mustache"



"remember how you use to climb into my bed at night....and then kick me out?"



"....buckets full of bullfrogs..."
"...first grunion run..."
"...climbing into my playpen to play with me"
"...8-track in the yellow honda..."

"you made a stunning bridesmaid"

a few of them are just single words that only make sense to me and are so powerful, they will bring on mad peels of laughter if whispered in my ear (oh, especially at family gatherings). ya know what else? i haven't opened them all yet. i save them for those rainy days. there are only a few left on the bottom that haven't been touched.



there are, no doubt, many horrific things i can say about my youth but like a character in a king novel, they were many other glorious crazy fun kid things as well....and ya know what? i wasn't alone. thank god. i had a ....a friend....a playmate, confidant....a witness...a SISTER!