The Wish Bone

Here are some shots of one of the tables set for the 20 folks that showed up yesterday. I am pretty tired this morning after doing all the cooking and the clean up. The sink stopped up too and poor David missed eating dessert with everyone as he was in the kitchen with me mopping up the mess and repairing pipes.

We each took turns yesterday sharing out things to be thankful for and I can share with you my life is very full. One thing that stick out to put in this journal is the first Thanksgiving after we moved to Dallas. David had eaten Thanksgiving dinner at Nanies, which was next door to where I lived. I am so tremendously jealous to see all the kids bursting from Nanie's house running about playing hide and seek and having so much fun. There I was with my parents in our dining room with full view of Nanie's yard and all the family love exploding everywhere.

My mother asked me to stop staring out the window several times, but it was difficult. I stayed pretty glum even through dessert. I was half-way through my Pumpkin Pie and whipcream when the doorbell rang. I shot up out of my chair and raced to the front hall. Mom's voice was behind me, "Slow down Lauren, do not run in the house." I flung open the door and there was David.

"Can you come over and play?" I didn't even blink as I yelled at my mom that I was going over to Nanies. To be included in the love and action of that family was more than I could ever want.
I played monopoly with the David and his older cousins. After that we played charades with all the kids. Molly climbed up in my lap and I instantly felt like she was my little sister. She reached up and patted my face and said "Pretty Girl". My heart was won.

It was dark outside before I knew it. David said he would walk me back home. He had something in his hand hiding it from me. I kept trying to look behind his back to see what it was but he laughed and told me no. On my front porch we sat on the new swing my dad had bought. David produced in front of me a funny looking bone shapped like a "y".

I remember scrunching up my face and twisting my mouth saying, "What is that?" It looked pretty yucky.

David looked at me like I was totally dumb. "It's a wish bone, haven't you ever seen a wish bone before?"

"I guess not" I answered. "What do you do with it?"

David explained how two people were suppose to hold each side of the top of the bone and make a wish. Then at the count of "3" each pulls . He told me the bone would break and the person holding the largest side would win and their wish would come true.

He offered up that funny looking bone and I took a hold of it. Felt different to touch it; I almost felt a current through it. I close my eyes and made a wish. I heard David began to count and I held my breath and opened my eyes and tugged on "3".



My wish came true. Here I am fifty years later surrounding by a huge family that fills me with love and joy. God is good.

Lauren
28 November 2008