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Saturday, January 8, 2011

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.

11 comments:

  1. What a wonderful trip down memory lane. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
    xoxo

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  2. My goodness those things reflect on a better time if you ask me. I love that and it's a pleasure to hear it from you. Bless you my friend.

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  3. Terry, one of the things I have come to enjoy most about my online friendships is opportunities to learn more about the good people I have met here and most likely will never meet in person.

    Thank you for offering this little story from 'way back; I enjoyed learning a little more about your growing-up years. Sound like you had some pretty remarkable parents.

    Keep toasty!

    *hugs*

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  4. Aw what a sweet story...THANK YOU. You have memories I don't and your side of what it was like when I was such a pain lol. Loved reading this. LOVE YOU!

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  5. This a very nice post, that people would enjoy reading your memories.AND I did too.
    Thank you for sharing to us.
    Although thank you for being my friend.
    Have a great weekend.

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  6. a very smart mom you had...she empowered your sister...good for her...

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  7. Cool memory! No wonder Sherry is such a toughy! I mean that in a nice way.

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  8. Early memories? Gee, being born at such an early age, I don't remember any of it!
    However, the memories of growing up seem to all be pleasant memories. Maybe that is a defense mechanism.
    It's funny that "my memory version" of the breaking off of an engagement when I was 32 years old seemed to be quick and painless. However, a couple of months ago I reread my Journal (diary) from that time period, and discovered that it was a drawn out and aganizing event.
    Sure, we remember really embarassing or cruel behavior done to us....but, tend to sugarcoat other thoughts.
    Well, maybe that is for the best!

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  9. Childhood memories. Your story about your sister in a cast caused me to think of my cousin Tommy. He was stricken with polio in the early 50s and had to wear a full body cast for months. I was about 4 at the time. You sure jogged an old memory out of my brain. Funny how that works, isn't it?

    God bless you and have a great week :-)

    ~Ron

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  10. Is there anything as wise as a tuned-in mother? Not the ones starting every sentence with 'as a mother, I..." but the ones that think, "This kid can DO this!" The bicycle thing, that was very smart, indeed.

    I remember being quite young - people are often surprised at what I remember. I can never understand how people can forget. I was neveer more shocked than when a classmate told me he had only two memories from high school. And he was well-liked, so it wasn't like forgetting a hellish time. I remember the births of several of my younger brothers. I even learned that if Mom got fat, there was a baby in the not-to-distant future.

    I am glad that you had a good family to remember. So many people do not.

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  11. Memories are ways of holding onto the things you love, the things that make you who you are, the things you never want to lose. This was an amazing memory and thanks for sharing it.
    You kind of have me missing childhood. I miss innocence. I miss not having responsibilities. I miss the biggest question in my life being, “Should I watch Scooby Do, or Superfriends?”

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