Dear old Aunties

Auntie Elsie, Aunt Betty, and Auntie Gladys- another year older!

We all have them... dear old aunties that poured out love to us when we were children. I had 5 of them on my dad's side. Two of them just celebrated their 96th and 93rd birthdays this week. Let me share with you my memories.

Auntie Peg. One of a kind. Loud, opinionated, with a memory for obsure details of the past. She knew everybody and everybodies business. I lived with her while in college for 6 months; it was there I grew to love this unusual lady who was a bit brash on the exterior, but a gentle, loving soul on the inside. Aunt Peg passed away a few years ago at 93 year of age. When we were children, we didn't like staying with Aunt Peg... as an adult, we loved being around her and hearing her stories and listening to our family history.

Auntie Gladys is the second to oldest... she turned 96 this week. She was the care-giver. From the world's view, Auntie never did anything huge in her life; she stayed home and cared and nurtured her family, and doing it so well. Uncle Bill, her husband, was one of my favorites. A fisherman, a quail hunter, a talker. It was this auntie that cared for us many a Friday nights as we laid around her house after our weekly trip to the laundry mat with my dad; she fed us, she mended our jeans, she mothered us.

Auntie Elsie turned 93 this week. Auntie Elsie was the happy one; always laughing; always excited about birds and flowers. She lived on the farm outside of Kellogg in a big house with lots of rooms. You wanted to be around Aunt Elsie because you knew your spirits would be lifted. She was married to Uncle Roy; a great farmer, but just the oposite of Auntie... gruff, frugal and impatient. Never have I seen a couple so opposite in their dispositions. Never have I seen a lady enjoy spending her late husband's saved money after he passed away. What fun for us to see our dear auntie get out and enjoy her life with traveling late in her life.

Auntie Anne... the kissing auntie. We knew we were going to be lavished with lip-sticked-kisses when we met and left this auntie. She was the beautiful one; her hair, her makeup, he whole demeanor shouted glamour. We loved seeing auntie as a kid; she loved everyone of my 23 first cousins; she never remembered our faults and shortcomings, but poured out love and affection to everyone, every time she saw us. We loved going to her house; we always felt like a king in her palace.

Aunt Betty... she turns 72 in early February, the youngest and the last of 8 kids born to my grandma and grandpa. Aunt Betty was different from the rest; she became a single mother in the early 60's. She never married, but had the one daughter. Aunt Betty grew on us. We never stayed at her home as a child, but later learned to love her for who she was; a staunch Democrat, a smoker, and a great cook.

As I reflect this week about the birthdays of my four living aunties, I am glad they were/are apart of my life. I have had 3 aunties that have lived into their 90's, each one living through 2 world wars, each one leaving a wonderful legacy in my mind. I pray I can do likewise and influence my nephews and nieces with love and kindness and kisses and encouragement as they grow up in a very different world than I did.