When I was young, and my heart was an open book, our family's weekly trip to the grocery store was a semi-event. I mean, it involved making a list, checking it twice, loading ourselves into the car, and actually going into town for crying out loud!
We were all expected to be on our best behavior. And don't even THINK about any of us whining about wanting candy or cookies...it never happened.
Imagine my chagrin when the family was strolling down the aisles of Ivey's Cornucopia of Commerce in Fort Wayne, Indiana and I saw what I thought to be a grocery cart filled with several marked-down items as a display. I casually picked up a couple things to look at when the owner of the cart, which was definitely NOT a marketing device, walked up, cleared his throat, and maneuvered himself and his cart to the next produce display.
My oldest sister, DeeDee, saw the whole thing and immediately recognized it as the opportunity to turn the screw that it was.
DeeDee quickly stepped up beside me and whispered, "Ooooh, Dewey! You better hope we get done and get out of here before that guy calls security. I can't believe you were messing with his cart!"
For the rest of our time in the store, DeeDee would "protect" me by peeking around the corner before we went to the next aisle and having me walk closely behind her.
"Keep your head down! Don't let anybody see your face!"
A few days later, we were playing outside at our farmhouse home and had the rare experience of hearing a police siren wafting toward us from probably a couple miles away. Once again, DeeDee jumped on the opportunity:
"Oh no, Dewey! They're coming for you!"
I dropped whatever I was playing with, ran into the house, up the stairs, and hid under my bed.
#TrueStory
Having siblings who care about your wellbeing is such a blessing.
