The time our sister ate green tuna

One of the perks of being me is that I have very witty siblings. When the four of us are together there is guaranteed to be laughter, no matter what the situation or setting. In fact, if you ever want to have some fun in a hospital waiting room, invite my brother Ron!

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The back of the photo reads:
Timmy, Valerie, Ronnie & Debbie - 1984

It never fails when we are all together that the subject of our sister Valerie and her childhood follies come up. Oh, we have some really funny Valerie stories, and bless her heart, she’s a really good sport about it.

One story that always comes up is about the time Valerie ate green tuna. Now, the fact that she ate green tuna isn’t really funny at all. She had opened the can and grabbed a little piece of tuna off the top – chewed and swallowed it before realizing that it was spoiled and potentially harmful.

I remember at the time we were all pretty freaked out that she might die. Sibling rivalry and the normal fussing and fighting totally went out the door, and we clamored around and hung onto Mom’s reassurance that she’d be alright. Although, I remember Mom being really concerned too, so that made the whole thing even more scary!

It was a Wednesday evening when it happened, and my mom worked for the local drug store at the time. She called her boss, Mr. Wong, and he met her at the store so she could get some ipecac syrup to induce vomiting. I stayed home with Valerie, and our brothers both headed off to church to attend our regular Wednesday evening Bible study.

The funny part of this story is how our brother, Ron recalls {and embellishes} it. It always starts with, “Remember that time Val ate green tuna?” and we burst into laughter because we know what’s coming. He claims that during the church service the minister said, in a very solemn voice, “Please pray for Valerie N. She ate green tuna tonight…” and that he and our brother Tim sank down in the pews because they were so embarrassed.

Maybe it’s Ron’s delivery that makes the story so funny.

Maybe it’s the relief that Valerie didn’t die from eating green tuna that adds relief to our laughter.

Maybe just saying, "Valerie ate green tuna" is funny.

Or perhaps it’s just part of the bigger picture that shows how resilient

we are, and how we rely on laughter as a coping mechanism.

I’m going to credit our amazing mother for that.

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PS: Every time I open a can of tuna I think of my sister, and I always check to make sure it’s not green!

PPS for Valerie: Thanks for letting me tell this story, and I'm super glad you didn't die from eating green tuna! xo

Sunday and Paper Dolls

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This snapshot of my sister, Valerie and I has been around for a really long time. It's one of those photos that gets tucked into a shoebox and resurfaces from time to time. I had never thought much about it until recently when I scanned it to use in my sister's birthday mini-book.

Having always seen it in its 3.5"x3.5" form, faded and discolored, it hadn't evoked strong memories for me. But when I scanned it, made some quick edits in PhotoShop, and saw it in a larger size, the memories flooded my mind.

And there we were. Two little barefoot country girls, sitting on my great-aunt Floy's rickety front porch, me totally engrossed in punching out paper dolls and my little sister already hating crafts {haha}. Matching outfits, sun kissed cheeks - I can almost smell the rusty water and feel that old wooden step beneath my feet.

When is the last time you really looked at an old photo?

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I'm linking to Sian's Storytelling Sunday today. :o)

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