Big Sisters

[joette]

Some of us are lucky enough to be one & even luckier to have one & I luck out on both.
At the suggestion of somebody on TS I have decided to write about my living family & tell them how I feel.I will share some here.
My big sister is the bestest.I don't remember life without her.She was supposed to be a big brother "Our wee Johnie" which was carefully scribed on a box of baby things which my Mother had lovingly knitted/sewed for this first child.
After a long,difficult labour "wee Johnie" arrived but he was wee Maggie instead! Two years & ten months later I arrived in the back bedroom of my maternal Grandparent's house in Mountblow & where six weeks later my Granny would die.
Margeret by this time could name all the Rangers Team,find any 78 amongst my parents vast collection &manage to scoop her baby sister out of her cot & nurse her by the fire! She could the same from my pram-"Come & see the bairn singing to her Dolly" says granny "Scream" says Mum.
She also decided to take me for a walk in my pram.Managed down one flight of garden steps but failed on the final hurdle & I catapulted out landing on my pillow.From then on I was strapped into my pram & my Mother always tied up the brakes on all the children's prams.
Margeret always was way cooler than me.She knew what was in /out & what looked good.Although she stopped wearing panda eyes when she caught a glimpse of my Mother failing to hide a smile.
She went to school before me & I was desperate to go too.So Margeret brought school to me teaching me to read & write-I could do "joined up writing" before I started school thanks to her efforts.She was a conciencious student,rarely in trouble.She always made lots of friends despite being very shy.I know I used to embarass her when I would start singing on the bus or chat to strangers.
We would make up our own games like Boxing but with "rude" names for the corners like "pee" &"jobby" which to us was the height of naughtiness.
She usually was a feartie whenit came to fighting but I will never forget the time she rode to my rescue like the Lone Ranger.I was in the school Lavatory at home time where two lovely girls had me entwined in the roller towel(aroundthe neck!)Margeret came in moaning about how long I was taking & took one look & got stuck in with her schoolbag & fists.She has no memory of this & yet I can still feel the towel around my neck & the tears of joy when I realsied she had seen them off! She didn't even get upset that I had soiled her gym shorts which I had borrowed.
Holidays& days at the seaside.Roaming around the woods & hills,collecting bees in jars of clover,trying to jump onto the back of the horses in the field,sledging down the hill in a board "borrowed" from the shop at the top.
As big sisters do she always did things ahead of me like go to College,get a great job & then get married.You cannot mention one without the other & Jim is the big brother I always wanted.
He has been a wonderful husband & a great bb.He even took my little brothers to the Rangers end for a Celtic/Rangers match what a sacrifice for a shareholding Celtic fan.He is there to meet me off the London Bus whether it is 6:30 a.m or 12:30 pm.Loving being a Grandad & spoiling them rotten.You rarely see one without the other & he always buys her flowers.
She gave me the best gift of all my first nephew & niece.
Like everything else she has done she has been a great Mum.They have through the most wonderful times & some horrendous things.Margeret has always been there holding on to her children & supporting them even when they have did things she hasn't liked.
They are all fine,caring people & her daughter has joined the ranks of good Mums too.Made me a Great-Aunt but....
She knows most of my secrets & I hers.She is in tremendous pain due to Arthritis but she soldiers on holding down a very resposible job & helping with the grandchildren in a very hands- on way.
We still giggle when we get together & I cant think of anytime we have fell out.She is terrified of mice & once ran out of the house in her husband's clothes when a mouse appeared in her bedroom & refused to go home until they got a cat. She lets me have the clothes she has slimmed out off & would give you the shirt of her back& It would be a lovely one too.She stops me being an old fogey.My big sister Margeret. Forgot to add that she is the best baker in the World her scones & mince pies are ....SUPERB.She's nae bad at the dumplings but not quite up to my Mums.

[Liz Turner]

Dear Joette

I love reading your stories and thought this one deserved some more readers!

Liz