Old Letters

While DH was in his hometown this past weekend, he happened upon a stack of letters hidden up in the closet of his bedroom. They are letters I had written to him during our long summer vacations when I was in NY and he was on the other side of the continent.

We perused through them last night. And, I have to say, they are by turns sappy, lovely, and downright hilarious. My favorite parts have to do with the atmosphere of my home during those summer months.

I am the oldest of 6 children. However, there is a 7 year gap between me and my sister, the next closest sibling. It makes for a very interesting dynamic. So, the summer after my freshman year at TAC, I am 20, (I had spent a year at a different college after hs) I have a sister who is 13, another who is 11, my brother is 9, another sister is 4, and my youngest sister is 3.

In a 4 bedroom house, I never really had my "own room" so to speak. I think I ended up sharing with all of my siblings at one time or another.

Throughout my rambling dissertations on life and love and annoying people at work, there are, sprinkled throughout, little mentions of this or that sibling, and their funny sayings and cute habits. At one point I mention that I am sharing a room with my youngest sister, and she "looks so adorable" as she sleeps.

This exchange, though, is by far my favorite:

I have to get ready for dinner, we're having Krista's family over. Yet, I do have my own personal hairdresser. My three-year old sister, Mary, is brushing my hair UP. Lovely. Now she pronounces, "I'm dead." What a loony house! (and here the writing gets very small and scrawling) She's... choking... me... gotta go!

And I laugh out loud, remembering my youngest sister "death-grip" hugs, where we really thought we might lose a brain cell or two as she squeezed the heck out of us with her strong little arms.

What a treasure trove DH has found. I can't wait to read more about those crazy years.

:)