Ninety Nine

It has been quite a year for grief in my life see here and here.

Sadly I am now also mourning the matriarch of my Mom's side of the family. My great Aunt was a truly amazing lady and didn't seem to be 99 years old. She was spared the other ailments of growing old and managed to a fiercely independent life. She was a teacher and when she retired she became a volunteer for the Elder Service Corps. She did this until she was 90. It cracks me up to think she was volunteering for the elderly - when she was in her 80s!

My mother's parents passed away when I was very young, so I did not really know them. My great Aunt was my link to that side of the family. While I occasionally scratch my head at how I fit in with my Dad's side of the family, spending time with my Aunt made crystal clear where my love of books, cream of wheat, intellectual conversation and shoes came from. We also shared a good bit of moxie and a disdain for the willfully ignorant. She once said of a cousin's boyfriend that he was "really nice to look at but didn't have a lot going on upstairs." She was right.

I will miss the wonderful notes that would find their way to my mailbox wishing me well and getting me thinking of our next Sunday tea. My Mom and I would go and spend a few hours having great conversation, laughs, tea and lunch. My Mom, who doesn't really have a sweet tooth, did like my Aunt's oatmeal cookies even if she didn't get the hang of dunking them in her tea! I was not really fond of the orange jello mold (my issues with jello go way back) but ate it so as not to offend.

So my dear Auntie, thank you for everything. We certainly have a void in our lives but are all the better for having you in ours.