Another memory

You know we can hardly remember things in the early years of our lives. You never know what wonders you missed. There are probably some real nice things that would have been great stories and memories.

My earliest memory is of the addition of another child in the family. Back then they did things so different. I remember Mom being gone for a few days getting my “baby sister”. It was the return home that cemented it in my mind. They brought them home by ambulance. I just stood back, afraid to go near them. Then the strangers were gone and there was Mom and that little bundle making the funny noises. She had the biggest brown eyes and loads of dark curly hair. She looked a lot like Dad. She had one ear that stuck out a little farther than the other, but I thought she was kind of cute. Of course at 3 years old I didn’t know how much attention this thing was going to be. It took her longer to walk than I would have liked. After all, it’s hard to play with someone who can’t follow you around. They finally hit on a bribe. She had this fascination with a certain lamp and they held it out of her reach trying to get her to come to it. Ah! Success! At three it was becoming obvious she limped so a trip to the doctor (one she didn’t like by the way and punched him in the stomach, what a brat, tee hee). X-rays discovered a dislocated hip making on leg shorter than the other. Consequently Mom and Sherry were off to Milwaukee to the Children’s Hospital for surgery and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa. That was the best part to me as they spoiled me of course. Anyway, it was a long stay for them and Mom had to get an apartment and job in order to stay with Sherry. Grandma and Grandpa would take me in to see Mom at times and Dad went every weekend as taking off work was not a financial option. I remember while they were gone our cousin Mary was born and after going to see the baby I went back to Grandma and cried because my sister couldn’t see her


When they finally were allowed to bring her home she was in a body cast from under her arms to the tips of her toes and a pin in her leg. All this to make sure everything stayed in place till healing and that no more shrinking occurred. She had to be like that for a few months. Can you imagine a 3 year old confined like that. I can’t. I don’t remember how we kept her entertained and calm. She still has a slight limp that you don’t even notice unless she dances too much, or works too long. The doctors told Mom and Dad she would probably not be able to do a lot of things the other kids did but she would walk normal. Well they didn’t know my Mom. She went a bought a 3-wheel bike that pedaled a little harder than a regular bike to strengthen the leg and she never told Sherry she wasn’t able to do whatever the rest of us did. It worked and she could out swim, out dance out skate all of us.