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Look, it’s the Osmond Bunny Ears Family! A musical sensation so fiercely 1980s that it hurts.

I had an entire apartment, so I don’t know why Josh, Gina, Sarah, their father, and I are hanging out in my bedroom while I pretend I can play that keyboard. But whatever; my mother captured the moment for posterity. I thought my sweatshirt was dirty until I viewed the picture HUGE and realized there’s some drawing of a woman on it. That is not my sweatshirt, and if anyone had shown it to me before I saw this photo, I would have sworn I never wore one like it. I have no idea whose it could have been. Kathy’s? My mother’s? Beats me.

All Eighties fashion was tragic, anyway.

And hair. Josh: mullet!

April 24 would be my parents’ Star Sapphire anniversary. I think I should go buy myself some jewelry!

Kidding.

Instead, I cut a little bouquet of flowers growing around The Compound: plumbago, star jasmine, an azalea blossom, bougainvillea, and impatiens. They’re in the bud vase I gave my parents on their silver anniversary.

I reckon I’ll dust off that old story about the time they exchanged meaningful smirks when I brought them a gift on another of their anniversaries. When I asked what was up, they laughed and wondered why I always celebrated their anniversary on the twenty-fourth instead of the twenty-third. “Because your anniversary is on the twenty-fourth,” I said. When I wouldn’t back down, Mother told Daddy to get their marriage certificate.

Mmmhmmm.

Dear Bill and Dorothy–We’re glad you met and married and made us.
Love, David, Debby, and Becky

In this picture, Mother is about thirty-four. She’s sitting near Aunt Drexel while they open Christmas presents. Above the mantel are some watercolors my father painted of German buildings. I still have those, plus some of the things on the table next to Mother: the books, a small green ashtray, the brass coasters.

I love seeing Aunt Drexel unaware that someone’s taking her photo. I love the look of delight on my mother’s face. And it’s impossible not to pair that photo with this one of my sister, who was around the same age my mother was in her photo on the Christmas this was taken in my apartment in north Alabama.

Another painting of my father’s (painted for me, so of course I still have it) is on the wall behind her. She’s opening a ring that Mother brought her from a trip she took with our cousins Alan, Laverne, and Elenore to the Bahamas.

These photos really do make me happy. Although Debby’s eagle eye may spot what looks like hand-wringing happening on the left side of the photo. She’ll know that’s me, and it’ll make her laugh.