Yesterday my Aunt Arnie lost her courageous battle with cancer. My heart breaks for my cousins and their families who lost their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who they loved so much. It makes me a little sad to know that I can not be there when they hold her service, but geography, work, and economics make that impossible. That is one of the unfortunate realities of being a grown up and living so far away.
My Aunt had been a widow for many years and lived in the house she raised her family in. No return visit to the Midwest was not complete with out stopping by her house. We would visit around the kitchen table catching up with her.. It was always wonderful to spend time at her house hearing how things were going and sharing with her what was happening on my end of the world.
Last night with my husband, we reflected on all the things that made her special. There were so many things I remember about her, but the thing that I will always remember most of all is her smile. I can’t remember a time when she did not have that smile that wrapped you with warmth. To go with her smile she had a special kind of eyes that twinkled and went perfectly with her smile. I am not sure what it was about her eyes but they truly did twinkle with little crinkles around her eyes that some joined up to go perfectly with her smile.
Somewhere in heaven today, Aunt Arnie sits with those who have gone before us, looking down on us as each of us figure out how life will go on differently now that she is gone. She is enveloped in love with those she is reunited with, and smiling down on us with love, because she knows we will be ok and some day she will see us all again.
Looking Out the Window 