Over the Rainbow

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz.  I had a Toto stuffed animal and a basket for everyday pretending, and a blue dress and red shoes for Halloween.  One year I received a ruby slipper ornament for the Christmas tree, and it remains my favorite.  This year for Christmas, I received these gems:

ruby slipper socks

Where were these when I was five?!  They are quite possibly my favorite thing ever.  I wish I had a pair for every day of the week.

When I slip them on, I feel like a little girl again, and am charmingly reminded, as my mother puts it, "Dorothy ain't shittin'.  There's no place like home."

Sometimes I'd rather be anywhere else than here--not even necessarily over the rainbow, but somewhere that's not this house, not this town, not Ohio.  Yet here I am, watching The Wizard of Oz with my eight year old sister.

Then I remember that this is the little sister I always wanted but never thought I would get.  I was 16 (my other siblings 20, 19, and 12) and pretty sure another sibling was beyond hope.  Then one rainy afternoon on vacation our parents gave us the news.

As we realized they weren't joking, the sun mixed with the rain and painted a rainbow over the mountains behind our cabin.  I was sure it was a sign from God, and it struck me with wonder--some dreams really do come true.