Last Gifts
When my aunt died just before Christmas, I worked with my cousin (I hadn't seen or talked with her in 30 years!) to plan a service so that she and her daughters and I could all attend and so it would honor my aunt's wishes.
Someone said that's the final gift someone gives--the pulling together of family--and it was a gift for me. My cousin and I took up where we left off 30 years ago. I loved meeting her daughters, two beautiful, smart, self-assured young women ready to make their marks on the world. The four of us have contact now from across the country and I hope we keep it.
I visited my aunt a few times a year until the last few years when she became extremely cautious of allowing anyone into her environment. She had become very chemical sensitive and tried to keep things as unchanging as possible. For the last few years we only talked on the phone since it was a long drive and she wasn't sure she would allow me in if I came.
My aunt was interested in many things: nature, science, photography, art, animals. When I visited, she would take me to galleries, museums, trails, and always, fine restaurants where she would order meals prepared very specifically to not irritate her allergies. We talked about everything she was interested in as well as things I cared about. She always asked about my teaching and writing. She encouraged me to continue following my dreams.
Her funeral was on Friday during a major snowstorm in the northeast. I was afraid if I waited until Friday to go down, I wouldn't make the funeral, so I drove down on Wednesday and holed up in a B&B on Thursday during the major part of the storm. And I wrote for the whole day, getting a major start on a new project without interruptions.
Another last gift from my aunt.
Someone said that's the final gift someone gives--the pulling together of family--and it was a gift for me. My cousin and I took up where we left off 30 years ago. I loved meeting her daughters, two beautiful, smart, self-assured young women ready to make their marks on the world. The four of us have contact now from across the country and I hope we keep it.
I visited my aunt a few times a year until the last few years when she became extremely cautious of allowing anyone into her environment. She had become very chemical sensitive and tried to keep things as unchanging as possible. For the last few years we only talked on the phone since it was a long drive and she wasn't sure she would allow me in if I came.
My aunt was interested in many things: nature, science, photography, art, animals. When I visited, she would take me to galleries, museums, trails, and always, fine restaurants where she would order meals prepared very specifically to not irritate her allergies. We talked about everything she was interested in as well as things I cared about. She always asked about my teaching and writing. She encouraged me to continue following my dreams.
Her funeral was on Friday during a major snowstorm in the northeast. I was afraid if I waited until Friday to go down, I wouldn't make the funeral, so I drove down on Wednesday and holed up in a B&B on Thursday during the major part of the storm. And I wrote for the whole day, getting a major start on a new project without interruptions.
Another last gift from my aunt.