Cindy and Me

Cindy is my youngest sister. She is exactly 5 1/2 years younger than I am. She was so cute when she was born; her sweet, cherub-like cheeks were so lovable and pinchable.

Being all those years apart, we really didn’t spend time together until Cindy was about four years old. She had spent the first two years of her life in and out of the hospital. Still, Cathy and I loved her. As Cindy grew up, we had plenty of time to play.

One thing that our mom and our grandma loved to do was take us to the shore where Cindy liked to bury me in the sand. We built sandcastles with motes, using our brightly-colored, plastic buckets and shovels. We collected seashells and found some beautiful shells, fully intact. We even found some seashells with their little critters still alive within their homes. At the time, we thought they were gross, and all of kids let them be. Of course, no trip to the shore would be complete without a few dips in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

We would have “school” in our garage. Dad and Mom had a large chalkboard with a small table and matching chairs in our school area, which was near the rear of the garage. In the winter, Mom or Dad would light the very large kerosene heater, which we knew not to touch, to keep us warm. It quickly warmed the entire garage. I would use dittos (when was the last you heard that word?) covered in a plastic film, so we could use them again and again. Some were Mathematics, others were Language Arts. All of them were fun! Cindy, especially, seemed to enjoy them.

Times weren’t always joyful. Cindy was being bullied by the several kids at her bus stop. When I heard they were going hurt Cindy, my baby sister, I decided to walk with her to her bus stop. They attacked us just as we walked up. I was able to get a few kicks and punches before I had to cover Cindy. I literally threw myself over her body and tried to cover her little head with my hands. The attacks kept coming. That is, until the blessed bus showed up. Then, the kids scattered for the school bus and I took Cindy home.

Cindy and I went to the shore mid-winter. It was kind of spooky, with only the local residents, not the summer tourists. We walked on the boardwalk, which had most of the many stores, games, and rides shut down until the following Memorial Day. We were excited to see that our favorite pizza place was open all year! We got a few slices of pepperoni pizza, and plain, and then we decided to drive around town and see what the locals experience.

We happened upon a bowling alley and decided to bowl a few games. Cindy was a lot better than I was at hitting down those pins. Needless to say, she beat me in all three games. I was happy seeing Cindy enjoy herself.

From there, we were in search of a restaurant for dinner. We found a quaint, little diner with great platters of food. Fully satiated, we headed home.

I really love my baby sister, Cindy.

John 15:13 – Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (KJV)