A wish for my child...

My wish for my child today is that she thinks of how her actions impact others.

May she have the moral fiber to step up when her peers are being asshats and not only leave but also tell someone so that asshattery doesn't result in injury or worse.

May she have the courage, even in her 40s, to admit the error, learn from it, and move on rather than trying to make those who call her on it feel that they are at fault.

May she have the grace to love others with the unconditional nature of my Crazy Aunt.

My beautiful, wonderful, awesome aunt lost her battle today.  She is with her parents and siblings.  They were waiting for her, standing vigil at her bedside.

I know that isn't received orthodoxy, but know what?  I'm a lousy Lutheran sometimes.  I'm ethnically Celt.  That makes me a little spooky.

As I stood at her bedside on Monday morning, I could feel my uncle, the plasterer, behind me.  I knew he was there.  The fact that he has been gone since 1981 was irrelevant.  My favorite uncle was keeping vigil for his little sister.

This is the aunt who drove us nuts.  She finished all our damn sentences...became an expert on everything and nothing.  Counted the milligrams in every single pill she took - cause all milligrams are created equal. She could NOT stand Democrats (no comment) and swore up and down that Rick Santorum was the ... you get the idea.    Of course, she also thought that as a teacher with a terminal degree, I earned six figures...(eye roll).

This is also the aunt who made baby caps and sweaters for all of our children - who made an afghan for my sister's new baby, and did it knowing she was dying.  She never shut up.  To the point that, at another family funeral, my mother started things off by saying "and if my sister, C, would sit down and be quiet we'll get started".

Whatever other stories I may have about my aunt, I know that I will never regret flying up last weekend.  I made it.  I said everything I wanted to say. The Demie Diva went to see her, and knows that the person she didn't recognize was still the same CA in her heart.

So, I'll love her forever.  I'll like her for always.  As long as I'm living, my auntie she'll be.