Thursday, October 11, 2007

Catching Snowflakes

As I leaned back my head and stuck out my tongue my youngest sister who was five at the time watched me.


“Mommy, why is Tammie trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue in church?”

I collapsed in a faint right in the middle of a weekday church service. It must have been winter break since we were all there in the middle of the day. I had just become overheated and passed out. No harm done, Mom took me outside for some fresh air and our day went on as normal.

A couple of Sundays ago I came home from church. My sister had been there while I was gone; she had made lunch for Mom and Dad and then cleaned up the kitchen. Wondering why she would clean up and not put the empty Cheerios box out for recycle I began to break it down when Dad asked me if I had looked at the back. Turning it over I saw this image:


Teri has never let me forget that day in church. This is not the first time an image of someone catching snow has made its way to me. I laugh every time it happens :-) Ya gotta love your siblings!

Actually, as I have grown up, I found that’s not exactly true. I have heard many stories about sibling relationships. Some would be fodder for a great horror story. Not everyone loves their brothers and sisters. I, on the other hand, do.

Growing up we moved a lot and so that meant we had to learn to rely on each other. We had our share of squabbles. “Mom, she’s looking at me!” “Daddy, tell him to stop!” “Get out of my room!” As adults we don’t experience the typical squabbles that you find in many families. Our times together are filled with laughing about things that have happened and sharing what is happening in our lives now.

Recent events brought us four together again. It was an unfortunate reason to get together, but thankfully the outcome was good. I found it very cool to watch the three of them as adults and remember them as children.

They all have married and are in the process of raising families. They are all three amazing in their own ways.

Tom is a rock. He is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get down to business. He keeps us laughing with his crazy jokes and stories. His two kids are grown and are now stretching their wings. So now, Tom and his wife are beginning to stretch their wings also.

Tina is the quiet, gentle one. She and her husband have two boys. Always the girly girl she has jumped in and participated in the camping and fishing, baseball and soccer. She’s not afraid to do the things her boys love to do.

Teri is our firecracker. Strong willed and independent she takes the world by the horns. Her and her husband’s two kids are like night and day, yet she is totally involved in both their activities.

My siblings mean the world to me. For all the times I said as a child “I wish I was an only child,” I have been blessed with amazing memories, childhood and adult, of these three who have been a part of my life for so long. Honestly, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

So, if you happen to see me catching snow on my tongue, I may just be immersed in a happy childhood thought!