part iv- the originals
Welcome back and thanks for checking in. Today we will conclude the journey (historically speaking) of the Purple Pansys and how they came to be. You’ve met the Purple, the namesake, the moms. All of these women that came before us molded us into the women that we are today. So now it’s time for our story. Me and Floyd.
making friends
There are so many stories to tell and so many that won’t be told. This blog would become burdensome to list all of the times that Floyd and I have fallen into a paroxysm of giggles. I will attempt to hit the highlights of how we came together as friends and then as sisters.
It started at at a medical clinic that we both worked at. My first day I breezed by Floyd (a veteran by then) announcing a loud ‘Good Morning’ just to be told that I was entirely too perky and that no worries I would soon be beat down. HRMPH! Not an auspicious start, I’m thinking. 
My Rennie knowing I was a little nervous had flowers delivered wishing me good luck. Before I knew it Floyd was back at my desk with a bunch of questions. Flowers? Birthday? Wandering minds needed to know. Well maybe things were looking up.
As you may have guessed we got past that initial introduction as I realized that this gal with her southern twang was funny! We started hanging together and things were going well.
the next stage
Six months go by and an emergency at work occurs. It’s Halloween and everyone gets into costumes. Especially the docs. A family tragically drives up with a family member in the backseat. Unfortunately this person is non-responsive. The family is unaware so 911 is called and the docs start CPR. Things ended as you might expect. The family was devastated. Floyd and I were involved. Afterwards she is “cleaning up” obviously upset over the outcome and the emotional toil.
PING! Someone’s hurting. I need to make it better! Enter an irreverant moment.
Folks I guess my demented brain just goes these places. The patient had been blind and beloved. I started talking to Floyd about a “what if” -can you imagine different scenario.
I had got to thinking what if, they brought him back, he could see and he thinks he’s in heaven just to see hovering over him…a 6ft white rabbit, a hippie and dracula.
(Remember this was Halloween and you guessed it- those were our docs.)
She just stared at me for a moment.. struggling to hold back tears and then..there it was. The giggle of the ridiculous. Of course she thought I was awful and told me so. But she also wasn’t quite as sad. JOB DONE!
I really think that is when it happened. We became friends.
through good times and bad
I helped her bury her dad that Christmas after an unexpected death. Unfortunately that would not be the last loss we shared together. Over our 20 years together we have buried parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. As we lost each one our friendship became stronger and stronger. We’ve dried one anothers’ tears, given hugs where and when they were needed and simply held onto each other until the other one was strong enough to stand on their own again.
strengthening the ties that bind
Way back when, Rennie and I owned an old dilapidated houseboat. Every spring I would go down to where it was docked scrubbing from ceiling to floor to remove the mildew, bugs and whatever else had crawled in over the winter. All of this to ready it for summer. I opened it in April and then closed it up in October.
The first spring after Floyd and I became friends I decided that she was entirely too sad and needed some cheering up. I invited her to come with and experience the opening of the houseboat. The offer came with warnings of what to expect. This was work! And a lot of it. When we got there I discovered that I had forgotten a carton of eggs in the fridge. Now every year we would lose power for a time so these eggs were suspect. We decided we couldn’t eat them but we should see if they were rotten. This started a tradition that continued until the boat was no more.
We would lob them out into the lake to see if they would float. And of course compete to see who could throw them the farthest.
One of the highlights of “the opening” is to figure out what went wrong over the winter. For Floyd this provided entertainment as she watched me curse and struggle to make right what was wrong.
Don’t misunderstand, she helped. But where I found it to be frustrating she thought it a lark. (One way or the other I always seem to be a source of entertainment for her)
During the course of our visits to the boat we bonded.
bonding with my bestie
We bonded over the 220 electrical cable that was the only thing tethering the boat to the dock that year. Stretched to capacity and a definite fire hazard we disconnected and ran extension cords for power and heat that weekend.
We bonded when the engine compartment flooded and I had to install a pump to remove the hundreds of gallons of water to keep the boat from sinking.
We bonded when entering the boat we discovered a trail of animal poop. Yep, and then we had to figure out what and where they were. We found them. After using tongs and jumping at every sound and opening the cabinet doors waiting to be attacked. (And just so you know it was a family of squirrels) they had created a nest in the hold. Babies snug in the remnants of a shredded marine rope. Mama attacked and the babies scattered. Floyd and I squealed and chased them away. 
becoming sisters
Amidst the bonding over the years and the hundreds of conversations we discovered a special kind of love. The love of sisters. We each had blood sisters but that didn’t really work out that well. So we chose one another. Due to circumstances and life we would go our separate ways to other jobs but we held onto what was most important. US.
Every April and every October we would travel down to that boat where we would bear our souls, laugh till we cried and cry till we laughed. And after the grand ole lady (the boat not Floyd) sank in 2013 we continued the tradition. Enter Mom.
becoming the purple pansys
Mom and Floyd met in 2009. In 2013 Mom moved closer and joined our twice annual trips. That first trip we knew that what Floyd and I had together just grew stronger. And so like any worthwhile effort it had to be commemorated. And so, that weekend we became the Purple Pansys.
We have the salt shakers, the keychains and we wear the T-shirt. We shared an unbelievable friendship that grew stronger each year. It’s back to being just me and Floyd now. But we are strong and will always go on. Together.
And like the beautiful pansies in winter we will survive. Taking the licks that life gives us, making our own sunshine on the days that it rains and drink a lot of lemonade when we are tossed lemons.
To read about “the rest of the story” follow these links https://sassaleeyours.com/meeting-the-pansys-and-how-they-came-to-be/ https://sassaleeyours.com/meeting-the-pansies-part-deux/ https://sassaleeyours.com/meeting-the-moms-part-iii-of-meeting-the-pansys/
Because we are the Purple Pansys. And I am today and always…
Sassalee yours