brownsugatou

People always ask me…
Where do I get my laughter?
My sense of humor?
And smiles for miles?
Even when facing adversity…

I get it from my sister.

God knew I needed you
I wasn’t even a year old
Before you came on the scene
Yep 10 point 5 months apart
Might as well have been twins

Due to our close knit ages
We started preschool together.
I remember you crying for Mama
And me comforting you by saying,
"It’s gonna be alright Lilly!"

Mama dressed us alike
From our early beginnings
Until we proudly wore
Our caps and gowns together…

Sadly that’s where I used to think
Our story (Climiell and Lillian) ended.
Me off to college and you
Starting your beautiful family,
Each of your children
Lookin’ just like you,
Just like US!
Ben, Roberta,
Me, and you!

I just knew our bonding had died
One day…
But did I really know this for sure?

At ages 5 and 6
We were play fighting.
You kicked my first tooth out
With your foot and we laughed hysterically about it.
Thank God my tooth was already loose…

Together we damn near
Burned down our Aunt Climiell’s
House playing with matches.
No one told us we could not
Cover up a black burn stain on a
Light blue carpet
And try to lie about it…

And what about the time,
During the week or father’s funeral,
We fed 13 kids and 2 adults
(Our older sister, her three kids
And her friend and her 10 kids)
With 80 Chicken McNuggets?

Who would have predicted
Laughter from the McDonald’s employees
Because of our large order?
And then you cursing them out
For selling one of our 20 pieces
To another customer
Thus holding up our entire order.
Folks was hungry…

And I remember when Mama
Purchased that generic walkman
From an “off-brand” catalog
That had two jacks for the
Two headphones?
We were NOT technologically
Handicapped back then
I was glad to be joined at the hips
Musically with you…

Now, we may not share
Our deepest darkest secrets,
Talk on the phone weekly,
Our give each other advice…

But I knew when you called me last year
And all I could hear was that familiar
Uncontrollable and contagious laughter.

The one where you can’t
Even get your words out,
The laughter that made US
Cry so hard over the years -
ONLY for you to finally say,

“My wig… (insert laughter)
Fell (insert hard laughter) off …
(insert laughter and tightening of the muscles)
At church today!”

Sis, I knew then,
And I now know for sure
That our bond never died.

Thank you for the laughter.

Dedicated to my sister,
Lillian Marie-Buffin
I love you Sis.