Counting My Blessings Again

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Counting My Blessings Again written by "The Philosopher" Della Ann Mikesell Binder 5 May 1998           The Virtues Of Sleeping 3 In A Bed                                                      Now that I am entering my late "Childhood', I am still trying to decide  what I'm                    going to be when I grow up. Many past events in my life run through my thoughts                    and I ponder the affects of them on my life.                      I came to the conclusion that among the many blessings I received in my                    lifetime, even sleeping "3 in a bed" was one! Now if you've never had to do it                    you wouldn't understand why I say that. So I'll explain my pondering  on the                    subject.                      Consideration -  If you have to sleep "3 in a bed" you learn to be considerate.                    You have to be, or one of your siblings might kick you back, or if you're really                    obnoxious they might tattle on you and you'll all get heck. If one needs to turn                    over then all must turn over, or it's a bad mix of knees and elbows, backs and                    noses. If one needs to get up, one must disentangle oneself with the greatest                    of care and avoid stepping or kneeling on anyone else.                       Compassion - You learn to feel sorry when you hear a tiny sob that none is                    supposed to hear. Someone is sad and too proud to let anyone know, so you                    pretend you don't hear it. You wonder how bad your big sister's leg hurts her.                    It happens to be in a cast and is wedged up against you at the time. You try                    not to move to avoid causing her pain. We must not wake little sister who                    needs her sleep, but also loves a comforting arm around her.                      Gratitude - Then there are all the little secrets you share, with whispers,                    when all else in the house is still, And the quiet expectancy that as soon as                    they awake, you could play "I'm thinking of". You'd pick out some item on the                    magazine wallpaper that you were sure they wouldn't guess. You might even                    have a pillow fight if we were quiet. And you love your sisters because it's                    much nicer than sleeping all alone. Daddy and Mama and the baby have one                    bedroom. The boys have a bedroom and we three girls have our own bedroom.                    No one is in the slightest bit spoiled. How could anyone be spoiled sleeping 3 in                    a bed, I ask you. Look at all the virtues we've learned.         Thelma, Della Ann and Betty Mikesell         Cast of Characters                                                    Daddy: Jefferson "Jeff" Osborn Mikesell                                                                                            Mama: Florence Vivien Allen Mikesell                                                                                            Brothers: Ernest "Ernie" Osborn Mikesell                                                                   and James "Jim" Allen Mikesell                                                                            Sisters: Betty Lou Mikesell; Della Ann Mikesell;                                                                 Thelma Florence Mikesell             and "baby" Leslie Arlene Mikesell                                                             TRIPLES with EMMA