RUNNEMEDE REMEMBERED

Growing up in a small town in Southern New Jersey


Wednesday, August 6, 2008

My first remembrance of my brother Mark and sister, Deb

The question came from Lori -- What is your first memory of my father and your sister?

I was three (almost) when my sister was born. She was brought home from the hospital one week before I was three years old and I do remember that. I remember -- I mean I can see this so clearly -- my mom coming in the front door holding this tiny baby (Debbie) and she looked so very, very happy. My father announced to me that the child's name was Deborah Rose Drexler (accent on the "bor" syllable) , but called her Deb from the first. When we got to high school I started calling her "Drex" and that has stuck. Most of the time I call her Drex.

Being the older sister, I always was superior in my mind to her. She was my little sister. I knew more. But...she (Deb) always had more style than me. Her fashion sense was impecable. I envied her that. I always felt like I looked like a dork (that wasnt' the word back then, but my mind isn't recalling the word I'm trying to find).

A year and a half later my brother Mark was born. He was a screamer. I do remember that. He one of those high-pitched cries that let you know he wanted something.

I recall one night he had just fallen asleep and I went into the room where the crib was located and poked him to test if he was really asleep. Well, he woke up with a start and started screaming at the top of his lungs. My mom came in and asked if I had waked him. I told her no. I figured he wouldn't have waked up that fast from the tiny poke I gave him as a test to see if he was, in fact, awake.

Amazing how you can always justify half-truths, isn't it?

More to follow (MTF).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fun! Thanks for answering that. I can't say I'm surprised that dad was a screamer. He just seems like that kind of person. And,I can totally picture grandma and grandpa walking in with Debbie the first time with big smiles on their faces. :-) They weren't supposed to be able to have children, were they? I bet having you was a miracle, then having Debbie as well, then dad, and Carl must have been so exciting for them. Now, question, if everyone called her Deb (or in your case Drex), why did we always call her Debbie? Was that just dad's name for her? Like I call my sister Em and so all my kids do?

Judi Hahn said...

Deb, Debbie, Drex -- she answers to all three. My father called her Deborah (accent on "bor"). My mom called her Debbie. I called her Deb. Carl called her Deb. And when we got to high school Deb became Drex. Now she answers to Becky, Cyndi, Debbie, Drex -- what ever comes out of my mouth when I talk to her. Usually, though, now, it's Becky. You know how you go through the list of children's names until you get to the right one? Well, that's what I do. My son, Phil, is usually Mark. I don't know why that is, but it is.

You know I don't remember my mom going through the list when she called me or talked to me. Hmmm.