The Bag Lady

Our second child Gigi was a surprise. 

You're supposed to say that instead of "accident" because that sounds worse for some reason. 

I guess a child is never an accident if you and your spouse do "the nasty" ever. 

So, anyway, I guess we did "the nasty" at some point in early 2008 because our SUPRISE came in November of that same year. 

She was definitely meant to be a part of our lives. 

Here's why...

Her sister Zoe was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 5. 

Gigi was 22 months old. 

And while she didn't really understand what was happening, she had to know something was up. 

Her sister was always gone. 

So were mom and dad. 

We saw her at this big building that was a long car ride from grandma's house. 

There were many lights and machines that made noise around her sister. 

Ladies in outfits with cats and bears on their shirts let her play with their stethoscopes. 

Doctors in white coats looked in her ears with their otoscope because she felt left out. 

Strangers would bring her pudding, Popsicles, and toys to take home anytime she asked. 

She didn't care to be left out of this mysterious "fun" her sister got to be a part of. 

The floor her sister lived on had a computer room and an even more exciting playroom. 

With toys we didn't have at home. 

It was amazing!

Gigi showed us her true self at this fun, amazing, big building far from home. 

Maybe she became this person because she had to. 

To cope. 

Was it nature versus nurture?

Circumstance versus DNA?

She would run down the halls. 

Take a sharp left at the nurses' station and run down the other hall. 

Back to sissy's room where she would make a funny face (and not even wait for the reaction she always got) before high tailing it out the door to do it again. 

And we let her do it. 

Because it made us laugh.

She made us laugh. 

Laughter is what we needed. 

Her sister needed to giggle and be the child she really was. 

Not someone who was fighting for her life. 

And Gigi kept us laughing. 

Through 2 1/2 years of chemo. 

We laughed. 

Gigi has continued the show. 

Cracking us up on a daily basis.

With her bad knock-knock jokes. 

With her insane outfits even Alexander McQueen would never have attempted. 

And her ability to turn a regular visit to the store into a giggle fest. 

Not just for us, but for anyone she passes. 

And that's no accident. 

This girl has been a surprisingly bright light in her sister's life. 

Even if she is a bit embarrassing at times...