the purple knickers...

twenty years ago today

that's how sarah and i

often start posts over...

.

on her blog

it's fun to see what

we were up to

twenty years ago today

at times i think

twenty years is so long ago

and then i look

 at the photos

and it seems like

just yesterday

tonight

as i looked at what

we were doing

i huge wave of emotion

comes over me

first off

it's the purple velveteen

the true color doesn't shine

 in the pics

tj's knickers were made

of a rich deep

luscious purple

the top of sarah's dress too

the matching plaid

 was heavy, gorgeous taffeta

brought in especially for me

by jay broida the owner

of cutting room fabrics

he knew about my obsession

 with purple

so on one of his

 new york city buying sprees

he had me in mind

and my little girl

he was so excited to show me

i couldn't bring myself

 to tell him

that sarah was not doing well

in fact

the doctors were

starting to loose hope

her lungs were

continually collapsing

filling with fluid

she was aspirating liquids

to cause pneumonia

that would not respond

 to medicine

still i sat in my sewing studio

in the wee hours

 of the morning

to stitch up this

matching ensemble

for brother and sister

today as i look at

these photos

i recognize there

was a greater journey

one of immense teaching

the brother

the one who stood beside her

who protected her

without question

is right beside her

nearly every single day

i truly could not be more proud

of the man he has become

my heart swells with pride

each time i see the two of them

i hear them

engaging in grown up

conversation

yet my heart allows them to go back

to the day they

were wearing

taffeta plaid and

 fancy purple knickers