Is That What You're Wearing?

My sister had a "rep" for being a prankster, a cut-up, that went way back into our childhood days. As kids, she'd nonchalantly pretend not to understand a story I'd told, just to see how many times I'd repeat it. "I don't get it," she'd say, and I'd tell my story again. "That doesn't make sense..." And again I'd explain it. "I still don't understand," and off I'd go again, until I realized she'd been laughing at me the entire time.

A longtime favorite family story of Teri getting one over on me was when we were in our teen years. Every Friday night I'd ready for hours for a date, painstakingly spraying every hair into place, as teen girls do. 20 minutes before my date was to arrive, Teri would ask me "when are you going to start getting ready?" Then, minutes before I was to walk out the door, she would say, "Is that what you're wearing?" It would send me into fits every time, and back to my bedroom, tossing my closet for a better outfit, while she laughed and tried to assure me that she'd been kidding.

As I rushed to get ready for her visitation last night, had applied the waterproof mascara, and had every hair...wherever it landed, and I threw on a new shirt and headed out the door.

I suddenly imagined Teri asking me, "Is that what you're wearing to my visitation?!" and I laughed out loud.

For all of our heartache now, I know that her memory will live in our hearts forever, and as much as we cry, we will laugh at her antics for the rest of our lives.