Peach Tree

My earliest memory was being about five years old. My older sister, Diana, was my hero. I wanted to do everything she did. Is she wore her hair in a ponytail, so did I. If she wanted to go to the park with her friends, I was right there with her - not that I was invited. She was always so cool and smart. So when she told me I could fly like a bird, of course, I believed her. We had a huge peach tree in a front yard in Texas. It was a summer day and we weren't allowed to stay inside if the weather was nice. We were bored and Diana always had a way of figuring out new things to do.

She looked up at peach tree and said, "Cyndi, do you want to fly like a bird? I know how you can do it."

I have always been adventuous and up for a challenge but I said, "No I can't, I don't have any wings."

Diana looked at me with all seriousness and said, "We can make you wings and then you can fly."

I jumped up and said "How do we do that?"

"We will make them out of branches from the tree." She said and we began to pull the branches from the peach tree and stuff them into all the opening of my t-shirt.

After I was full Diana said, "Alright, now you just need to climb to the top of the tree, jump and flap your wings and you will fly just like the birds."

I am sure that the look of my face was just priceless and I realized that I had magically transformed into a bird. I looked up the tree and started climbing. I didn't once stop and question her for she knew far more than I did. I climbed and climbed. I was almost to the top when my stop-mom came out.

"Debbie, watch this! I am about to fly like a bird!" I exclaimed.

"What are you doing up there?" Debbie asked.

"Diana and I made wings and I am going to jump out of the tree and fly! Watch!" as I posed to jump.

"No, no, no! Cynthia Jean, get out of that tree this instant! Diana Lee, did you tell your sister she could fly?" Debbie yelled while running out the front door.

"No, I just watch, I want to fly!" I cried.

"Diana Lee, you tell your sister she can't fly!" Debbie screamed.

"Cyndi, I was just kiding, you can't fly. Come out of the tree." Diana said plainly.

At that moment, I was heartbroken. I had been tricked. By my own sister. I slowly climbed down the tree. By the look on Debbie's face I knew we were in big trouble.

"Get those branches out of your shirt, now! When you are done, go to your room." Debbie said as she fummed.

Diana and I got all the branches out and with our heads down, headed for the house. Debbie picked up a switch and followed us in.

We both got whipped with the peach tree branch. Diana got it for lying to me and I got it for believing her.

Debbie had a philosophy on raising children. If one of you got in trouble, you both did. She thought this would make us stay out of trouble. But the truth is, it just made sure we never told on one another.

The Art of True Happiness - The Dalai Lama

I don't know the Dalai Lama. I haven't even read his book or know anything about his teaching. All I know about is my own path to finding true happiness. I often meet new people and as people do, they ask about my background. Where am I from? Where did I go to school? Where do my parents live? Do I have any kids? Do I have any siblings? All of these are relativly safe "small talk" questions but for me have always been difficult with long answers. Usually, after a few beers, my new friend will say, "wow, you should write a book, no one would believe it". So here I am, on my journey to tell my story in the hopes that it will help someone out there find thier own true happiness.