Thankful To Be A Sister

I missed my thankful day yesterday. The day just seemed to get away from me so I apologize. I so wanted to make a thankful post every day until Christmas and here is my story today.

Today I want to thank my lil sister. I call her my little sister but she towers over me. She has always been kind of tall and I always wanted to be as tall as her, but I am short.

One of my first memories of her, was holding her when I was 3 or 3 1/2 and she slid out of my arms onto the floor and Daddy whipped me for dropping her. I felt terrible, not about the whipping, but about dropping my sister. I loved her so much. I wanted to take care of her but I was too little.
By the time I was 7, I was taking care of her. We shared a bedroom and a bed. Children did that back then. It was not the days of a room for every child, and no waiting for a bathroom.
Thank goodness we had an outdoor bathroom that was a two seater, because there were 6 of us kids.

We had a really hard childhood but we always had each other. She depended on me and I depended on her. She was the shyest kid I have ever known. if a car came into the yard, she would run and hide until I came to get her. Often times it was just in the bedroom, but sometimes it was in the closet. That was her safe place.
In her defense, it was a great closet. Huge to us and you could hide in there among the clothes and no one could find you. lol.

Once she knew you though, she would come out and play and talk and laugh. We had this old three wheel trike that I just loved. I would pump my legs as fast as I could and she would be riding on the step in the back , hair flying in the wind with a big smile on her face. Back them Trikes had a step on the back and you could ride one or two children if your legs were strong enough.

We made tree houses, climbed trees, swung on ropes, and played in the gully. I tried to protect her as best I could but she broke her arm one day and there were numerous other childhood cuts and bruises, which happens when you play outside.

One day, Ernest had her be his target with a bow and arrow. He shot his bow and narrowly missed her eye. She still has the tiny slit where the arrow went. I don't remember her ever flinching. Lordy, she was fearless and brave.

She would do anything the boys would do. We were both pretty fearless back then I guess. Jumping off the railroad trestle, driving a truck or car over the floating bridge, or swimming next to a whirlpool. Man oh man..

We played hard roaming those 120 acres that was our playground and we did it together. I could do on and on about the ways that I am thankful for her and it would never be enough.

She was the family Nurse long before I was, taking care of Daddy and Ernest. But I was her protector. I kept her safe and would fight anybody that wanted to talk about it. lol. I was a scrappy girl, unafraid.

Thank you, my lil sis, for being my sister. If I could have chosen a child in all the world, I would have chosen you.. Love always, your big sissy....