my heart, my home

it doesn't take much to make me happy...

a cup of delicious coffee, a chocolate bar, a new box of crayons.
Yes, I said crayons.

I remember in grade school one of the best things about school shopping was the new box of crayons each year. And how over-the-top- excited I was to finally, FINALLY, score the BIG BOX-- the one with the built in crayon sharpener and 64 colors to choose from!

The possibilities for creativity were endless with all those amazing colors. Why settle for orange when there was also 'burnt sienna'?

One of my favorite gifts ever was a special collectors box of crayons my sister sent me back about 25 years ago. I had told her all I wanted was a box of crayons. The big box. I had recently left that first marriage and had lost so many personal possessions and grieved each one, so that in trying to rebuild my life, I told myself to not get attached anymore to just stuff. Keep things simple. And my sister was attempting to honor that request. She sent me the collectors box which came in a cool tin to protect the box. I was ecstatic! For sentimental reasons that box didn't even get broke into and used for a verrrrrrrry long time.

My sister has always had my heart. She gets me in ways that no one else does. Of course we share family history, the legacies of which both laughter and tears are woven into. We went through healing processes together, she often leading the way, holding the flashlight that allowed me to know where to step next. When life moments rise up to make me shriek, it is she who gets the phone call or text asking for H-E-L-P, sometimes even before my husband.

My sister is coming to visit me next month. Part of the package of hubby going away to Honduras on his mission adventure. He will be gone for 3 weeks and my sister will be here with me for one of those three. I am over-the-top excited for her visit! We are already cooking up a list of things to do, places to go, people to see. There won't be enough time to do all we want to do, but really, I just want to keep things simple. Curl up on the couch with mugs of tea and talk and giggle ourselves silly. Pull out the box of memories and share what we've learned from them. Build new memories.

And, maybe, even break out a new box of crayons.

Sister-Time, Sept. 2010. At the Columbia River, WA side.