She did the right thing. She exercised, not because she loved it, but because it was a right thing to do. She looked for good in others and the imperfections in them she would just let be. She didn't enjoy housework, but her home was clean and beautiful.
She hated crying, I think because she thought it made her look silly. I can still remember her starting to cry over something, she'd stop and work to regain control and then say "shoot" in a kind of wobbly way, and then she was fine again and finish what she was saying. She could laugh at things (not at people, just funny things), and it was a really great thing to hear! You'd have to laugh with her!
I remember sitting on the bed watching a home improvement show with her last February. We had fun talking a bit about things we'd dreamed about fixing at our homes. It was ok, just to sit and be quiet with Mary. She didn't demand anything of you. I already miss her very much.
Mary was my Mary Poppins sister..."practically perfect in every way"...and I would even say she was flawed just enough to keep from being irritatingly perfect, except that I can't remember any flaws (but somehow she still wasn't irritating)! :)
Love,
Cindy
I never can make these things work the way I think they should. Tried again to post here and it didn't work last night. Try once more...
ReplyDeleteFound the blog just before we left for California and couldn't make a posting work, so thanks for getting this on here. Me and computer-ish stuff just don't work so well!
Another thing I remember is how well Mary put up with her little pest of a sister that she had to share a room with. I don't remember it, but Mom tells me Mary wouldn't take me with to the cousins when she went babysitting because I "looked like an orphan child with dirty clothes and messy hair". At 6 I wouldn't have cared about such things, but to a teen...awful! I try to wear clean clothes now! :)
I remember the pink rose wallpaper in the bedroom and the big change to the lovely red velvet stuff that was Mary's choice.
I remember many young men, sorry Gene you weren't the only one...just the best one..., who would come to the house for Mary. She was beautiful and smart and the boys did like her!
Thanks to all my beautiful and talented sisters! I'm so pleased to be counted as one of the girls!
Love you all!
Cindy
I don't know how to enter this as its own entry, but I did want to add something. One of the cards I received in the mail from a friend who is more organized and thoughtful than I will ever be (can't seem to get cards in the mail with an address and stamp), had this message printed on the cover:
ReplyDeleteWhen someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure
Whenever I need to change my clothes after church or work, I say, "I need to change". Every time this comes out of my mouth I can hear Mary say, "Don't change, we like you just the way you are"! This memory has become such a treasure to me, and makes me smile every time.
Sarah