One of the best things about having a wonderful brother is that, eventually, you can get a wonderful sister-in-law. And my family did. My sister-in-law Debbie has been a blessing to our family ever since Wayne convinced her to marry him over 30 years ago.

But even a sweetheart like Debbie has stories that can be used as blackmail material—excuse me, I mean to say, amusing stories from their childhood. And fortunately, Debbie’s mom, Wilda, is happy to share them with us.

Every parent has moments when a young child embarrasses them in public. My own daughter was a master at that when she was a baby. I held my breath, afraid, every time Abigail opened her mouth to speak when she was little. Not only was Abigail apt to comment on a stranger’s personal appearance (and not usually the good stuff,) but she was just as likely to invite them home for lunch.

This was not something Wilda worried about, as Debbie wasn’t a gregarious child. So Wilda wasn’t on guard when a lady in the grocery store stopped to comment on what a pretty baby Debbie was—such pretty hair and such big, brown eyes!

The not yet three-year-old Debbie sat in the cart, sober-faced, used her big, dark eyes to look the lady up and down, then said emphatically, “You old. . .hag.”

Debbie, when she was a little older and had learned how to smile at people

Don’t miss the rest of the Stories My Family Tells as I Write 31 Days this October. Click here to check out the wide range of topics from a wide range of writers.