"Thick as thieves", my Momma used to say about me and my older sister. She'd hold my hand and pray that our journey would be safe, as we walked home from my grandmother's house, just as dusk was setting upon the day. Almost every night, we'd curl up in her bed and talk until our eyes grew heavy and sleep, finally, quieted our mouths. Often, I would sneak into her closet and barrow her clothes, just so that I could look like her. She'd get mad, throw me out, only to call me back in five minutes later because she had changed her mind. With a sweet smile, she would hand me whatever I was wanting. I sat in the back seat when my grandmother tried to teach her how to drive, holding on for dear life as I was sure she was going to kill us. A few years later, I wrecked her first truck. When I was fifteen, I watched her bring life into this world and start her journey as a single mom. She stood beside me on my wedding day, cried with me when I thought my marriage would fall apart and prayed with me as healing took place. She taught me how to apply make up and shave my legs. She taught me how to nurse my children and the best tricks on how to get them potty trained. She has taught me how your world can be falling apart around you but with Christ, you can always have peace and wear a smile. But there is one thing that trumps all these things and my favorite lesson taught by my big sister, my July:
On a warm spring day, we headed outside as we usually did after school. Two little toe headed girls, we were, plotting our next adventure. We ran along our fence, searching for the perfect spot to have our "tea party" but something caught my sister's eye. "JOY!" she exclaimed, "Come here!" As usual, when July called, I jumped and ran to where ever she was. Her long blonde hair blew in the breeze, as she reached for a vine with white and yellow tiny flowers. Grabbing one off the vine, she looked back over her shoulder at me and smiled, "HONEYSUCKLE!" Confused, I shrugged at her as if to say, "And?" "Come here, I'll show you." She plucked off the bottom of the flower and ever so slowly, began to pull out the middle stem. A bubble appeared at the bottom of the flower. "Here, taste it!" Hesitantly, I stuck out my tongue. It was the sweetest thing I had ever put in my mouth. "How did you do that?" I asked. "Watch, I'll show you again." Before long, the vine was bare where we stood and our laughter filled the air. That is the day I learned how to eat honeysuckle. July has taught me so many things. Most all of these things have been for a greater purpose or have come with hard life lessons but this, this one thing, was so extremely pure with nothing more than joy to be received or given from it. It was a beautiful moment in my childhood, one that I will never forget.
