40 Somethings #14

Don't forget! My birthday is in just a few days and so far no one has tried to win my heart with an awesome birthday greeting! Either ya'll don't love me (perish the thought!) or you're lazy. Nah, that couldn't be it! Come on, with all the creative types that read my blog? Surely someone can come up with a little poem ... something ... anything ... to make my day? I told you I'd give you a prize!

Ok, so back to the game.

When I was about 13, I lived in London, Ontario with my mom. My brother Richard, who I didn't know very well, suddenly out of nowhere invited me to visit him in Toronto. I rode the train to TO by myself (very cool, I liked the independence) then met up with Rick who took me to his downtown condo. It was very nice--much nicer than any place I'd ever stayed in before.

I remember odd things about this visit. Like the special drain cover he had in the shower to catch loose hair. Odd, eh?

The main reason Rick had me come was because he wanted to take me to see the Tutankhamen Exhibit that had come to the big museum there (was it the Royal Ontario Museum, Rick?)

I distinctly remember standing across the street from the museum in the lights of a city evening. The Museum was bright and exciting looking and I felt ... so ... special.

I remember the exhibit in great detail, but I think the really special thing was that Rick wanted to share it with me. Rick has always been an enigma to me, but he stands out in my memory with these big, tender things that make my heart swell with love for him. Like the time when I was a very little girl and he took me downtown to see the Santa Clause parade--he sat me on his shoulders for the whole time so I could see. It was the best parade ever.

I felt the exact same way at the Exhibit ... like I was on top of the world and Rick had put me there.