Down Memory Lane - Sisterly Consolation

Oh the treasures you find when you decide to clean and purge your house! This one is from my little sister Whitney. She was probably 10 or 11 at the time and given our contentious history as children I am so pleased to have a note of affection and love. Proof that at least some of the time, we did caring things for each other. (I can write this publicly because we both acknowledge we were jerks to each other growing up, but believe me, I was the bigger jerk).

So growing up we had lots of pets, among them, gerbils. One time we bought these two female gerbils from the pet store and one time one of these so called females was acting strangely toward the other female. A little while later four tiny naked baby gerbils were born. They were born in a cardboard box with bedding in it (we had glass fish tanks, I don't remember why we put the pregnant mother in there). The box was carefully placed on a shelf in my closet and the box overhung the shelf by just an inch.

One gerbil was born dead so the mother promptly ate it. Ack! The other three showed great promise of being adorable big gerbils some day soon. My siblings and I watched them with great fascination as they grew and started to wriggle around. One day I walked into my room and to my dismay found a dead baby gerbil on the floor. I couldn't think of how it happened? Upon close inspection of the box I found that mom had chewed a hole in the corner, just big enough for a baby to wriggle through and fall to its death from high up on the shelf. I cried because, cute tiny baby gerbil right? Anyhow, somehow I saved this sweet showing of support from my little sis and I'm so glad I did so I can embarrass her with it now. Love ya Whitney!

POEM TRANSCRIPTION

I'm sorry that your baby gerbil died,
and I'm sorry that sometimes I've lied.
I think that when it's dead,
it means it's baby has just been put to bed.
I liked it so much,
and it felt so soft
just with a touch.
I forgot to say hi,
but now I'll say good-bye
so good-bye!