A Nip Here, a Tuck There

I was talking on the phone a few days ago with one of my sisters. I'm blessed to have two. They are both older than me, one being six years my senior and the other four. We grew up together in the '60's and '70's, and during that time we shared a bedroom. Even though we moved a few times, the size of our bedroom was always pretty much the same, i.e. just your basic 12' x 12'. We each had a twin bed. Now if you've got our room pictured in your mind as looking like Marcia's, Jan's and Cindy's, think again. Since the Brady girls' room was considerably larger than ours, they were able to be a little more creative in their furniture placement. We just had our twins lined up in a row, with not much walking room in between. (During those years, I discovered why God made little toes.)

I've been trying to remember whose bed was in the center. I think it was mine, since my headboard was slightly different than theirs. My sister who is closer to my age was always the "motherly" one. At night, she would tuck in our covers under our feet before she would crawl under the covers herself. If our feet became "untucked" before she would drift off to sleep, all we had to do was to ask, "will you tuck me in?" She would then get out of her bed, and repeat the tucking process. Thinking back on her doing that (and on us asking her to do so) cracks me up. But at the time, it was a normal nighttime ritual for us girls. Didn't all sisters do that?

I still remember what our beds looked like. They were painted an off-white and trimmed in gold. I guess mine was a little different because it was purchased at a different time than the other two. As each of us girls married and moved away from home, we were given our bed to take with us. I kept mine for several years, and then gave it away. (Don't tell my mother because I would get the "I can't believe you did that" speech.)

Tonight when I lay my weary head down on my pillow, and if my feet become untucked, I'll be thinking about my sisters (and I guess I'll just have to tuck them back in myself.