Dawn Elizabeth Payson
May 16, 1971     -     March 29, 1999

THE EASTER CHICK STORY

On Easter of 1998, I went with Dawn to her Aunt Trudy and Uncle Mac's house. Until then, the only relative of Dawn's I had met was her mother Joanne, but there I met--in addition to Aunt Trudy and Uncle Mac--her cousin Terry and Terry's daughter Robin.

Dawn had gotten for Robin a little stuffed chick, about 6-7" high. It didn't do anything; it was just a stuffed chick. Joanne had also gotten Terry a chick. It wasn't as big (about 5-6") but if you squeezed its foot it would say, in a fast high-pitched voice, "Cheep cheep cheep! Happy Easter!"

Upon noticing Robin's facination with this cheeping toy, Dawn bemoaned the fact that any time she'd get Robin a gift someone would one-up her. I then asked her, three months from now, which will Terry prefer: the nice silent toy, or the one which by then will go [in a slow, deep voice], "Choooeeep choooeeep choooeeep!" At which point Dawn joined me, in matching cadence and intonation, "Haaaahpoooey Eeeeeeastuuuhr!"

If I hadn't previously known I had found a soulmate, I certainly knew then.

WHO'S THE BEST SWEETIE?

Dawn and I would tell each other often how much we loved each other. We had a number of amusing "dialogues" that we'd sometimes share. For example, I'd say "I've got the greatest sweetie in the whole world" and Dawn would contradict, "No, I've got the best sweetie in the world." We'd bounce this "argument" back and forth a few times until I'd say "Actually, Dearest, I think we're both right," whereupon Dawn would join me in exclaiming "CASPER!"