Thumbsy-Pansy

Like many mothers, mine was a pretty good amateur psychologist. For my third birthday, Mom decided I should stop sucking my thumb. I liked my thumb very much and didn't see any particular reason to give it up. I didn't think that my age was any justification for the sudden change. When reasoning didn't work, Mom resorted to more underhanded tactics.

Nothing more was said until a few days later when Mom presented me with a gift. It was a delicate pink closed tube, edged with beautiful white lace. Attached to the bottom of the tube were two long, soft, blue satin ribbons. My mother told me it was a "thumbsy-pansy".

"Only big girls are old enough to wear this beautiful thumbsy-pansy," I was told.

It was wonderful. I could hardly wait to put my thumb into the fancy little tube and allow my mother to fasten the blue satin ribbons around my wrist. Messing up the lace by putting it into my mouth didn't even enter my mind. I was so proud of my gift, that thumb sucking was soon forgotten. When the habit seemed to be gone for good, my thumbsy-pansy mysteriously disappeared.

Some years later, my brother, Mark, sucked his thumb, also. Mom, remembering her success with me, made him a thumbsy-pansy. He waited only until she left the room before untying the ribbons and stuffing it into the trash.

Recently, the thumbsy-pansy reappeared after all these years!