It was 50 years  ago that my parents gave me the very best present I ever received in my whole life. A sister! I was a lonely little nine year old girl with three big brothers. A bit of a tomboy I could run and jump, hit a ball and catch frogs with the boys, but I longed for a sister. Someone I could be close to and share secrets with. One day in early fall I watched my mother sweeping the floor and noticed she looked--- thicker. I asked her if she was pregnant and she looked quite shocked and grinned from ear to ear and admitted she was. I was upset she hadn’t told me. She explained that it was a long wait for a baby and they didn’t want to tell us kids too soon, as we would get impatient waiting. Shortly after that she bought some flannel and a pattern and I helped her sew some little kimonos and gowns for the new baby. I remember the little rosebuds and tiny yellow bunnies on white flannel and the matching bias tape we used. I learned a lot from my mom but that time is one of my best memories.

Mom had an extra long stay at the hospital and in those days they didn’t allow children to visit the maternity ward. I was so excited when they finally brought her home. They had named her Pamela. She was so tiny and pink and perfect. I loved holding her and rocking her. I remember when my dad tried to trim her fingernails to keep her from scratching herself and accidentally made her bleed and I cried. She was a beautiful little baby with soft brown hair and big eyes. My oldest brother had joined the Navy when she was a few months old had sent us a Brownie camera as a Christmas present later that year. She was so photogenic, Mom was always taking pictures of her.

Later when she was walking and talking, she was my constant companion. She would follow me around, hang on my leg or sit on my lap. One of my favorite times was when my parents were cutting wood for winter and I was watching her in the pasture.  I sat down on an old log and she scooted up beside me, pushed her hip up against mine and said in her little baby talk, “Moon o tee itty bit.”  She wanted to be where ever I was and I loved being with her.  I can actually remember sitting in school and missing her so much I would cry.

Through my high school years she became somewhat of a pest. She loved my boyfriends and would sit right in the middle between us. She was constantly teasing and tagging me around. If I wanted to sleep in on a Saturday morning after a date, I had to put up with her jumping up and down on my bed. She even caught me smoking a cigarette one evening when my parents were out. I don’t think she ever told on me though. Of course I bribed her. When I left home to go off to Minneapolis to get a job and be on my own, she was the one I missed the most.

She became a teenager one day when I blinked. By then I was married and had a baby of my own. She was a senior in high school when my daughter, Robin, was born. Mom had a bad case of the flu and couldn’t come to stay with me, so Pam came in her place. She was a wonderful help and I loved getting to know her all over again as a young woman. Not long after that it seems she was planning her wedding. Her husband, Mike, became a wonderful and welcome addition to our family. Over the years they had four handsome sons and I added to my family as well.

Most of my kid’s best memories of growing up come from time spent with Pam and her family. Even though we were a generation apart in age, becoming  parents is a great equalizer. I had what I always wanted, someone to share those very special times. New babies, lazy afternoons at the beach, first days of school, football games, graduations, worry over parents, sharing the loss, and grand babies. We commiserated over pregnancies, terrible twos, and teenagers. We stood together vigil at our parent’s side as they left us one by one.

Pam is a super person. A can do kind of gal who is never afraid to tackle anything. She is very artistic and has a keen eye for decorating. Her home is beautiful while being homey and comfortable, one of my favorite places to relax.  She raised her boys as a stay at home mom, doing day care for many of her neighbors. After her boys were in high school she took a job outside of her home. She never missed any of her boys’ baseball, football or basketball games.  She is hard working, a wonderful mother and wife. She has a great sense of humor. A little bit crazy and a whole lot of fun. I admire her greatly and love her dearly. I am very proud to have her for a sister.

Even though there are several miles between us we have remained close. I can’t imagine a day with out her. We are both busy with our lives, kids and grandkids. When things happen in my life I want to talk it over with her. I often wonder what she would think or how she would handle something. She is the person I most like to be with. So I am thankful everyday for the present my parents gave me that cold day in February 1954. A sister to love and cherish and grow with. The best present I ever got or ever will ever have.