For as long as I can remember,my kid sister, Vicki, loved things that shined. She always wore jewelry and more times than not, she chose rhinestones - those prong-set glass, "prism'd" pieces that reflected light and left little glows all around. She wore them on shirts, jackets, skirts, jeans and in her later years, on turbans that covered her bald little head.

I am pretty sure that her first pin came from a neighbor girl. She traded a figurine of a horse for it, which was tough to give up since it was her "2nd addiction." She came to the breakfast table with a cordoroy cowboy shirt and the pin proudly at the neck. Our older brother chided her and called her "miss Gotrocks." Today he'd call her "miss Bling" I am sure.

My Aunt Mary loved rhinestones too and one day while visiting her, she wore a lovely pin. When Vic asked her where she got it, she said she received it as a birthday present. That got the wheels spinning.

I remember when Vic was about 8, my mom gave her quite a lecture. I was not sure why until I heard the whole story. Even though her birthday was not until November, that summer she sent out hand-written invitations to 4-5 friends. They were invited to her birthday party and she suggested "jewelry" as the best gift! Of course, my mom found one, called each of the kid's parents and explained it was an error.

She thought it was a great way to get some more jewelry! At least we never had a doubt what to get her for her REAL birthdays! Her slogan was "life is too short to not sparkle" and boy, did she ever.

She became sick far too early in life but did her best to keep a happy face and a shining presence. Our talks of turning old together and wearing 8-9 pieces of sparklies at once and chasing the old geezers around the nursing home never came to be.

But while she no longer sparkles on this level, I often think of her on a cloud, peering down, with long dangling earrings, bold rhinestone pins on her feathers and a smile on her face. Being closer to the sun would really make them shine!