Birthdays -- looking ahead and looking back
My aunt's birthday is approaching. It may not be a very happy occasion, as my grandma has very, very recently passed. Maybe it will be a happy occasion, celebrating life and memories, I don't know. I would like to take some time to recollect some memories of growing up with my aunt, this seems to be a good time for that!
My aunt is nine years older then me, which means she was definitely the cool, older one growing up. I remember hanging out in her room, watching her get ready for club nights back in the 80's -- lots of hairspray, black eyeliner (burnt with a match), high heals and disco music. I remember Chacka Khan playing and all the versions of Roxanne. My aunt taught me to break-dance, even though I probably tripped over my two feet!
My aunt took me everywhere with her -- shopping, to the park, to football games and with her friends. There were probably a few times that she told me to go run in traffic, and specifically one time she sent me to the mailbox to mail a (ficticious?) letter when she was hanging out with a boyfriend, but in general, she let me tag along everywhere. I knew her high school friends, learned their cheers and twirling routines and wanted to be just like them.
I loved to hang out in my aunt's room with her - I borrowed books like Black Beauty and borrowed her 45's. I'm sure I never gave anything back, but I don't remember her hagging me. There is one specific book that I borrowed, it was all about family relationships, birth order traits, consideration for others, etc. I don't remember the title, but I can honestly say that book had a huge (positive) impact on how I treat others and how I developed my own family relationships growing up. I must have been about 8 or 9 when I read it.
I heard lots of stories as well about my aunt, from my mom. My aunt was the baby in the family, my mom took her around with her, back in their hippie youth. I think my aunt was the pet of the group, with flowers in her hair, twirling in fields of long grass -- ok, maybe that's just the way my mom told the stories. But I know that my mom loved my aunt, her younger sister.
So, my ode to my aunt -- I wish you a happy birthday, with mixed emotions of love, joy and grief, all in one. Thank you for all of the memories that you've created with and for me!
My aunt is nine years older then me, which means she was definitely the cool, older one growing up. I remember hanging out in her room, watching her get ready for club nights back in the 80's -- lots of hairspray, black eyeliner (burnt with a match), high heals and disco music. I remember Chacka Khan playing and all the versions of Roxanne. My aunt taught me to break-dance, even though I probably tripped over my two feet!
My aunt took me everywhere with her -- shopping, to the park, to football games and with her friends. There were probably a few times that she told me to go run in traffic, and specifically one time she sent me to the mailbox to mail a (ficticious?) letter when she was hanging out with a boyfriend, but in general, she let me tag along everywhere. I knew her high school friends, learned their cheers and twirling routines and wanted to be just like them.
I loved to hang out in my aunt's room with her - I borrowed books like Black Beauty and borrowed her 45's. I'm sure I never gave anything back, but I don't remember her hagging me. There is one specific book that I borrowed, it was all about family relationships, birth order traits, consideration for others, etc. I don't remember the title, but I can honestly say that book had a huge (positive) impact on how I treat others and how I developed my own family relationships growing up. I must have been about 8 or 9 when I read it.
I heard lots of stories as well about my aunt, from my mom. My aunt was the baby in the family, my mom took her around with her, back in their hippie youth. I think my aunt was the pet of the group, with flowers in her hair, twirling in fields of long grass -- ok, maybe that's just the way my mom told the stories. But I know that my mom loved my aunt, her younger sister.
So, my ode to my aunt -- I wish you a happy birthday, with mixed emotions of love, joy and grief, all in one. Thank you for all of the memories that you've created with and for me!
posted by Counting_Blessings | 9:55 PM
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