06 May 2004
Kevin O'Mara
One of the earliest, most profound memories I have of Carrie is the picture of her holding Amanda at Ellen's one Christmas Eve maybe 15 years ago. Carrie, of course, is smiling-almost laughing. She is like this a lot in the pictures we've seen of her. She never seemed put out by having her picture taken with the younger cousins-this night wasn't any different. Carrie just always seemed, even at this young age, a bit more tolerant and accepting of her role in the larger, extended family. You could almost hear her tell herself, "This is part of being an O'Mara-I just have to put up with it. I may as well have some fun with it."
The Christmas Eve night wasn't exceptional in that regard, however. What made it exceptional was that Amanda had on the most repulsive, I wish I were a tablecloth jumper that I have ever seen. It looked like someone had gone through the dumpster behind Michael's Crafts and picked out the ugliest of the ugly Christmas fabrics that no one would ever buy, not even those people in Berwyn.
It was red and green and gold and hideous. It was shiny in a real bad way. In a way that no wearable fabric should ever be. In a way that said I don't care how much you sweat tonight, and you will, no moisture is getting out. I remember thinking, "God help Amanda if she even brushes by a lit candle, she'll go up like a roman candle." If I remember correctly, it had one or, God help me, two red fake velveteen bows on it. I remember seeing those exact bows on my prom date's equally ugly dress in 1976.
What made and makes the memory so profound is that Carrie was wearing the exact same outfit. She was wearing it after being old enough to choose not to wear it. There she was, with Amanda on her lap, wearing the identical catastrophe. Smiling. Always smiling.
Always smiling.