Happy Birthday Little Sister Jackie

Seems real recent in my memory, but it was a long long long time ago, on this date, February 12, way back in the sixth decade of the previous century, when my little brother, Jake and sister, Nancy, sat on a curb on Fairhaven Avenue, looking up at the hospital on the other side of the street, waiting for our dad to hold our new baby sister up to a window so we could see sister Jackie for the first time.

I can remember this so clearly.

It was a happy day.

When you are the oldest sibling of multiple siblings you get to experience something the younger siblings do not get to experience.

The arrival of a new baby brother or sister.

Now, I do not remember the arrival of brother Jake, he is only 13 months younger than me. I sort of remember the arrival of sister Nancy. I think it was in the Mount Vernon hospital. 

Like I already mentioned, I clearly remember the arrival of Jackie.

And then seven years later my mom had me driving her somewhere. I remember it was on Rio Vista Avenue, in Burlington, when mom said she had something she wanted to tell me, and proceeded to tell me there was a new incoming brother or sister. I think I was 16 at the time.

Over the course of the next couple weeks Jake and Nancy were also informed of the new incoming. 

And then, all of us, me, Jake, Nancy and mom and dad, went into Jackie's bedroom to tell her the good news.

Jackie did not take this news well. She insisted such could not happen. It took awhile til Jackie accepted the idea that she was going to have a new baby brother or sister. 

Before my youngest sibling was born we had cement poured in the backyard for a patio. We had been to California the year before, including going to Hollywood and Graumann's Chinese Theater, where the stars put their handprints and names in cement.

So, we replicated that with all our names and handprints. And, not knowing if our incoming new baby sibling was a boy or girl, we had already decided on the name, Joey if it was a boy, Michele if it was a girl.

And so we wrote in the cement, "Joey or Michele," and I think made a little handprint.

I wonder if that is still in the backyard of the house I grew up in? Seems like the last time I asked that someone went and looked. I do not remember what the result of looking was...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKIE!!!