Little Sister Turns Seventy

by Pa Rock
Big Brother

Of the people I've known, and I've known some, none stretches the memory further than my little sister, Gail, who was born on this date in 1950, several months before I would reach my third birthday.  Gail is a permanent fixture in my life, someone who has always been around and is not shy about showing up when she figures she is needed.

(A couple of examples:  In March of 2013 while I was living in Phoenix I was told with rather short notice that I would be going in for a heart by-pass surgery.  The night before the surgery, Gail - who was living in Arkansas - phoned to see how I was doing.  We talked for awhile and then she confessed that she was actually at a hotel in Phoenix next to the hospital where I would have my surgery, and that she would be there with me in the morning as I was being admitted.  A couple of years later she showed up at a hospital in Kansas City - totally unexpected - as I was preparing for a less serious surgery.)

For the record, Gail officially changed her first name to "Abigail" last year, but I still find myself having a problem remembering to use the new name - memory loss is a factor in aging.  So I usually go with "Gail," which is, after all, a proper nickname for "Abigail."

On the day Gail was born Harry and Bess Truman, a couple of common folks from Missouri, were in the White House, and young John Lennon in England was still eating leftover birthday cake from his tenth birthday which had taken place the day before.

Gail was a popular girl in school, a cheerleader, and always in the running for queen of this or that.   I remember one high school homecoming in particular in which she was a candidate for homecoming queen (I think it was her freshman year) and our mother, a beauty operator, bleached Gail's hair bright blonde for the ceremony.  She was the brightest light on the football field that night, bar none!

My sister worked hard her entire life, and only recently retired.  She held a variety of jobs, including many in which she was able to engage directly with the public with her outgoing personality and friendly disposition.  I remember that our dad always referred to her as his happy child.  

Gail's biggest claim to fame, however, was her children.   She raised four of the nicest young people anyone could ever hope to meet, and they all are extraordinarily successful.  Her brood includes a medical doctor, an office manager, a college administrator, and a high school teacher and coach.  And Gail's kids each married well.  Their spouses include an attorney, a social worker, a mammographer, and an elementary school teacher.  

My sister also has a passel of beautiful grandchildren.

This year of the pandemic has been hard on my little sister, as it has with all of us.  She had to give up her job running the gift shop at an Arkansas state park and be content with sitting at home and trying to outwit the coronavirus.  We both missed out on a long-planned trip to Nantucket with one of our favorite cousins, and Gail was not able to take the 70th birthday cruise that she and her oldest daughter had been planning.  The pandemic has also interfered with regular visits with her children and grandchildren.

But things will soon be better, and life will soon be back to normal.

Happy Birthday, Little Sister - and may you hang around to enjoy many, many more!