Aunts Are a Blessing

The above photo was taken on an Easter Sunday many years ago. Aunt Chris is on the left front in pink. Aunt Georgia is standing in pink and white. Aunt Mick is standing in black. Mom is seated, front right, in black.


Last night A young friend sent a Facebook post about her becoming an aunt for the first time, which was scheduled to happen today. She'd already been out buying Auntie-related onesies, and will no doubt spoil little Kylie to pieces. Hurray for Aunts! New ones and old ones too.

Today I lost my last aunt on my mother's side. I'd last seen Aunt Millie at the funeral home when my Aunt Chris died recently at age 100. Aunt Millie was closer to my Mom's age. As my mother told everyone who would listen, she was the baby of her family, and Aunt Chris was the oldest. Aunt Millie was Mom's youngest brother's widow.

Aunts (and uncles too) have played very important roles in my life. I hope that my nieces and nephews will feel the same about me. My aunts reached out to me throughout my life. Aunt Georgie and Aunt Mick and Aunt Bonnie, by example and by deed, showed me how to be a lady. Aunt Marie and Aunt Millie showed me how to cope with adversity. All of them helped me feel a deep sense of Family, and all of them helped me want to be a better person. Aunt Georgie, Aunt Bonnie, Aunt Lilla, Aunt Marie, Aunt Mick, Aunt Millie, Aunt Chris - I was blessed with wonderful aunts. All of my aunts had outlived their spouses, my uncles, who were treasures to me too.

Today's post is in honor of family, of parents, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren and siblings -- but especially of Aunts. Special ladies, special people. I love you all!

That DNA

On the second Bob Newhart show - the one with Larry, Darryl and Darryl - Larry admired his two brothers and said, "There's somethin so great about that DNA". I loved that line and thought of it today when I was holding my very sleepy grandson.



He is his daddy's son. No doubt about it. The DNA is strong. He looks like him - and like many in my family for various reasons. He has Mike's and Roger's cowlicks in the front of his hair. I can see Mike sometimes, and Roger at other times. He has his Mommy's eyes and mouth...except his eyes are blue and hers are dark brown like mine. He looks a lot like her. He has his grandfather's blue, blue eyes. He has his Daddy's eyebrows...and mine...and Chris's. Having mine, he has my mother's too. That DNA runs strong. He is a very good mix of his Mommy and Daddy, with a whole lot of his daddy's family DNA thrown in for fun. He is named for his Mommy's uncle and for his own uncle - his daddy's brother Chris. Most people who know the family immediately say, "Oh! He looks like Chris!" And he does. He is Jace the Face, Jace Christopher, and he is a totally beautiful baby boy.

But what made me think of the DNA today and Larry's proclamation about the greatness of it was his daddy (my son.) When Jace is sleepy he thrusts his head back and forth into my shoulders when I'm trying to ease him into sleep. Back and forth, head butting as he turns his head from side to side. It is not a timid baby move. It is a thrust. Forceful. It is exactly what his daddy used to do. It takes me back 30+ years to when I held his daddy in my arms trying to get him to sleep. Exactly. 100% the same. It could be my firstborn I am holding instead of my firstborn grandson. A human time machine. My heart can surely hold no more joy.

Larry had it right. There's somethin great about that DNA.

(The photo is of Jace after his first feeding of cereal with a spoon and is just shy of his three month birthday.)