Saturday, business was brisk at the store. Deb and I coped with the surge of people after a slow week of ‘getting things done.’ At one point three women in brand new, bright pink t-shirts walked in. They were easy to spot in the wave of bodies crowding the tables but seemed familiar with the store and moved en mass as they talked and tasted. I threw furtive glances their way, trying to read the front of their shirts, stretched over aging torsos. As the crowd thinned and they came to the check-out desk, I was able to greet them.
The youngest was not a day over 65, petite at 4’2″, and had a perfect Lucille Ball red hair-do. There is no other word for it. It was a do. The middle sister had had a ‘little work done’ and her platinum curls were reminiscent of Dolly Parton in a cute bob-cut. The eldest sister was so “New Hampshire Native” she almost didn’t look like she was from the same family. Her teeth were bad, her hair was functionally short and gray and her body was saggy and filled out her t-shirt. Finally, I was able to read the slogan, “Three sisters, can you guess who is evil and who is good?”
We joked good-naturedly and when Deb’s father appeared in the door he joined in my gentle teasing. They are staying at a campground a few towns over (I can only imagine…) and have this reunion a couple of times a year. “Yes, we’ll be back in hunting season. Our husbands all get together for deer camp.” I envied their easy comradery.
Some day, I want to wear a pink t-shirt declaring my sisterhood and act totally silly.
Therapeutic Misadventures 
You found the perfect words to describe them – they sound like a bunch willing to laugh long and loud
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They certainly made me laugh! Thanks for dropping by!
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You and I aren’t blood sisters, but when you decide to wear that shirt, give me a call – I’m game!
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Bring on the t-shirts “sister”!!
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There are six girls in my family and I’m always jealous when I see siblings who have a strong connection and sense of loyalty to each other and to the family unit itself. While things have gotten better over the years, our relationships are definitely strained and it wasn’t until recently that I was able to figure out just why that is. Our mother – for whatever reasons I can’t begin to fathom – pits us against each other. Reading your memoir (more than half done!) I’m struck by the warm, close relationship you had with your mother. Oh, so envious!
OK. Time for a little levity~
While we’re certainly not as close as I’d like us to be, we did inherit our dad’s fabulous sense of humor and I could see us stirring things up and having fun like these delightful ladies appeared to be doing!
Fun post. 🙂
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Julie, things were not always so good between my mother and I. She was an only child herself and she had a habit of doing something called “triangulation” with the three of us. It took years of therapy to figure it out. I was her golden child at that point and she lived vicariously through me and my life. Later things got really ugly but that’s the next book 🙂
Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I loved those little ladies and their sense of fun!
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Mothers and daughters, eh? I wonder if by ‘triangulation’ you’re referring to what Mom does with us? She’ll criticize the other daughters in conversations with me and for the longest time I thought that meant I was special, that she was confiding in me. Later, I started to wonder what it was she might be saying about ME to the others and after we started to compare notes we figured out exactly what it was she was doing. Oh, to have been nurtured and encourage to love and cherish each other. Now, she wonders why us girls ‘can’t get along’. She’s 79 year old and it would do no good to say anything now. Sigh. It is what it is.
Anyway, thanks for sharing that with me Martha!
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That’s it exactly!
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I like it when older people decide that from now on, anything goes.
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Who you calling ‘older’?? 😉
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That’s something I used to say when I was 30. Now that I’m pushing 60, I guess I should watch my tongue!
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Growing old disgracefully is my main aim in life these days. I think I’m slowly achieving it 🙂
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Love this! “Growing Old Disgracefully” should be the name of your memoir, Marie!!
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