The love of siblings

All my friends who know me, and my readers who have kept up with me the last three years, know that I am the oldest of nine children.

Being the oldest, most of the time is fun, but you also find yourself many times in a mother's roll when you are no more than a child yourself. Mom always called me 'old mother hen'. In fact, when our home burned, when I was six years old, she was trying to get furniture out and I was telling her, "Momma get your babies out!"

As my siblings became teenagers, they would rather come to me with their problems or to help them out of situations because they knew they could pull the proverbial wool over 'sissy's' eyes. We always said that Mom had eyes in the back of her head and saw everything we ever did.

Many years ago I wrote a poem about the nine of us. Of course, I titled the poem 'Nine'. In the verse about my brother Farrell, I talked about him sneaking smokes and singeing his eyelashes. Doggone it, he got caught every time.

Mom used to get laryngitis and the boys loved that. Many of you remember Little Jo's Cafe which was located next to where Auto Advantage is now, and of course the creek. They would be headed to swim in the creek or hang out at Little Jo's and Mom would catch them. When she would see them be-bopping down the sidewalk, she would try to 'holler' at them. They knew she was calling them but pretended they didn't hear. So off to the creek and Little Jo's they went. I think some of the times when they got home Mom had something special waiting for them for disobeying.

Each of my siblings has a special place reserved in my heart just for them. With this many personalities we all have to be put in our own place. Mom used to say that no matter how many children you have, they all are unique in their own special way.

My baby brother and I have a little story we tell when we are introducing each other to someone.

Kathleen's side of the story - When Mom and Dad had me, they said "We have done so well we want another one just like Kathleen." So they tried eight more times until they got to Randy. At that point they said "We may as well quit, cause we are never going to do as good as Kathleen again."

Randy's side of the story - No, that's not the way it was. When Kathleen was born Mom and Dad said, "We know we can do better." So they kept trying until they got to me and said, "Now we can stop because we have finally gotten the best."

Well, that is a fun thing for us, and it makes people laugh, but in reality, Mom and Dad were thrilled with their two pieces of bread with all the seven fillings between.

As siblings we have laughed, we have fought, we have separated, we have reunited. We have been friends, we have socialized together, we have raised our children together, we have sometimes given Mom and Dad fits together. But through it all, at some point each of us has been the glue that has held us together. I'm sure this will go on until the very last of us join Mom, Dad, and Little Johnny in Heaven.

You know by now who my heroes and heroins are this week. Of course, my precious siblings, Linda, Johnny, Farrell, Darrell, Gary, Nesi, Keith, and Randy. Big sister loves each of you!

See ya next time in a 'korner'.

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