Happy Birthday, Margaret!

Sunday, March 29th marks the 52nd anniversary of my little and only sister, Margaret's, birth. Margaret was born with a rare bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta. Quite simply, her bones were very fragile and broke easily. Every time she was picked up or moved or even had her diaper changed broke bones. The day she came home from the hospital I invited a total stranger in our house to see my new baby sister.

In spite of the pain she must have always been in, Margaret was the happiest person I have ever known. I never remember her crying or complaining. Margaret was my best friend and favorite playmate. We moved to Salt Lake to be close to the Shriner's Hospital so that she could have surgeries to straighten and hopefully strengthen her bones. One at a time she was to have a metal rod placed in each of her legs and arms. She got through the first two surgeries, each of her legs, just fine. During the third surgery she became desperately ill and the doctors found she also had a hole in her heart. Margaret was transferred to Primary Children's hospital and eventually came home on oxygen 24 hours a day.

The heart problem is what took her life. I still remember that quiet morning when I woke up and Margaret was gone. The mortician came and gently carried her small little body out the door. Even though she was five years old. Margaret was the size of a six month old baby.

A "baby" who talked! I will never forget the day in the grocery store when a lady came up to us and pointed to Margaret saying, "What a cute little baby." "Mom!" Margaret hollered, "Tell her I'm not a baby!" The poor lady turned white and stumbled away.

Or the time in the drug store when we drinking root beer. I was sitting on a stool and Margaret was laying on the counter, both of us slurping up root beer through straws. A lady came in and gave my mom a glare until Margaret asked for more.

Margaret was always happy and cheerful.

Margaret taught me my left hand from my right hand. I got in trouble because I was told if I learned my right hand from my left I could have a watch. I could never remember and always had to ask Margaret which was my right had. She would raise up her little had and I would have to stand in the direction she was laying to get it right. Then I would run into the kitchen to set the table, forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right. Mom was so proud of me until she figured out Margaret was telling me. So, she told Margaret not to help me. The next time I asked for help, Margaret called out , "Mom, she's asking again!" That was the end of me "cheating" and I did not figure it out until well after she had died.

Where ever we went where there were children, they flocked around her happily talking to her. She never lacked for playmates.

Margaret was always trying to get in trouble so that she could be spanked just like me. It never happened. Not only did she have no way to get in trouble, it would have been too dangerous to spank her! We could not even hug her. A few weeks before Christmas, she scooted a little plastic Santa to the edge of the table where it fell off. "Mom, look! I broke the Santa. You can spank me now." I will never forget mom telling her, "Margaret, it was your Santa and you broke it, I can't spank you for that." "But you spanked Cathy!" Mom told her, "Cathy broke my Santa, you broke yours. It is different." After all the work for a spanking and she still did not get it. Mom glued the Santa back together.

The last Christmas before she died, we were told to let our parents sleep in on Christmas morning. We took that literally! We woke up bright and early. I do not remember which of us had the great idea, but we decided to open our presents. I carried them one at a time into the bedroom we shared. Margaret would look at the tag and decide if it said Cathy or Margaret. She got most of them right, except one. She opened an umbrella. We decided that tag must have said Marjorie as Margaret could not use an umbrella. So, we tried our best to wrap it back up. Our parents woke up and mu poor mom was so upset. We had opened everything and were happily playing with our toys. Margaret and I got a Barbie dream kitchen and were having a great time playing with it. This memory makes me sad as that was the last Christmas before she died and I kind of ruined it for my mom. But it is a great memory!

Margaret was very smart and was learning to read even though she had not started school. You could probably tell that my she telling me which name was which!

Margaret and I had pet turtles, Myrtle and Yrtle.

Margaret wanted an electric train for her 5th birthday and got one. We rode Myrtle and Yrtle around and around the track.

Margaret was given a dauschhound puppy and was absolutely delighted with her and named her Heidi. That dog was so gently with Margaret. She would jump up where Margaret would be laying and carefully place herself next to Margaret. Never once hurting or even jostling her.

We were little in the days before safe car seats. Margaret rode in the car in a special box my father made for her.

Margaret helped me find our birthday and Christmas presents which were hidden under the bed!

For her 5th birthday my mom made a humpty dumpty cake. On his hat was a little wooden train with 5 cars, each of which held a candle. It was the coolest cake and she loved it. She had a birthday party in the afternoon while I was at school just for her friends. But, they did not eat that cake! Margaret had mom save it for when I got home from school. As each of mu children turned 5 years old, we put that train on the top of their cakes. I still have it.

I have many wonderful memories of my sister. She truly was my best friend.

Happy Birthday, Margaret!