Today is my sister’s birthday, she’s 29 today, well she was 29 at about 5:30 am, or was that when we got the call. I was 6 and very excited about the idea of getting another sibling. I wasn’t excited, none of us boys were, of the idea of having to eat Dad’s cooking for the next few days while mum was in hospital.
Dad basically made beans or spaghetti on toast and poached eggs. I’m pretty sure we had a bbq for dinner one night and one other night my older brother (8 at the time) cooked us some sausages that, if I remember rightly and I’m sure he’ll correct me in the comments, were supposed to be for sausage sandwiches but they split and became rissoles, that still worked on sandwiches.
But after a few days we had a little sister at home. It was different, we went from my little baby brother having his own room to sharing a set of bunks and three of us boys in one room while the baby got a room of her own. I didn’t mind.
I think my sister Jennifer was the first baby I was really fascinated with. Watching her grow, was very cool. I was too young when my brother Greg was a baby and while I guess I got to see him learn to speak and walk and all that, Jennifer was the one I was cognitive enough to understand the process with.
And now she’s 29, has a good job, her own baby who is already not a baby. Unfortunately she lives in another city (I’m the one who moved away) and I don’t get to see her anywhere near as much as I would like.
I spoke with her tonight and wished her happy birthday. The rest of the family is going out with her tomorrow night to celebrate. I’m sorry David and I can’t be there, I hope they have a drink for us.