The Chacone Sisters

As I go through my everyday life I see and hear things that bring back precious memories of events and special people from the past. For example, poinsettas remind me of Carolyn. We worked together in the Personnel Office at High Plains Baptist Hospital many years ago. Carolyn was allergic to poinsettas. At Christmas time she was clutching a Kleenex, blowing her nose.

Name this tune: "Friday night it was late we got down to the gate and I was dreaming of the night would it turn out right". It is "Reminiscing" by the Little River Band. It reminds me of an old boyfriend from college. The reason escapes me, but I always laugh when I hear it and think of him.

When I spy any kind of angel in a store, it is a memorial of my mother-in-law who passed away a few years ago. She collected angels. I dislike the term "in-law". She was my "other" mom.

And when I hear the song "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye - You know this song - " And when I get that feeling, I want sexual healing, make me feel so fine, helps to relieve my mind. Get up get up get up get up, lets make love tonight" it brings me back to a very special guy friend , Dale. Dale had an awesome voice and we sang that song together on the bus traveling to church camp one year. I always loved singing and two-stepping with Dale. One of the best platonic guy friends I have ever had! I have lost track of Dale.

Hearing people speak with a British accent reminds me of one of my best friends, Kim. When we were in highschool, I remember several of us ordering food at McDonalds with British accents and lots of giggles! These are memories that just stick with you forever.

Well, every Christmas when I get my music out I play my Amy Grant Christmas album. One of the songs is "Emmanuel". It takes me back to those precious freshman college days and My Chacone Sisters! Oh, where do I start? I have lost track of some of them but most are great friends that I hope I will have for life!

One December, I remember us all huddled in one of the small cluttered dorm rooms listening to Amy Grant. It must have been final week because we were all very tired, stressed, and simpled out! My memory is a little foggy, but I remember this song playing loudly. We were all playing different instruments, you know, the air guitar, air drums, air sax, piano, and others. Each one had a different part. We belted out the song, it went something like this:
"Emmanuel! Chacon! Emmanuel! Wonderful Counselor, Lord of Life, Lord of All, He is the Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One. Emmanuel, Emmanuel!" We played it continuously until each one of us got our parts right!

I don't remember where we came up with the word "chacone". Maybe it originated from singing this song, and someone casually inserted the word. Maybe it was because two of us knew a guy named Mike Chacone. The reason seems insignificant now.

The Chacone Sisters went through our freshmen year singing silly songs, watching "All My Children" everyday after class, going on adventurous road trips in the blue Chrysler Cordova from hell, playing tricks on each other, chasing boys, making prank phone calls, and absolutely not studying. Most important, we laughed hysterically through it all! Laughing loud was our icon. We even had our own little pledging ceremonies. One of the initiations was dressing up like dorks and walking through Behrens lobby, our freshmen dorm. The memories of that are a little fuzzy, thank goodness!

One thing I will never forget is the valuable friendships that I made that year. The Chacone Sisters faded away many years ago, but I will boldly say the friendships will last forever! And I hope the memory remains the same each Christmas when I pop that disk into the stereo.