St Patrick’s Day brings sadness to our family this year.  My 94 year old Great-Aunt Lin passed away on Saturday.  I don’t think the reality of it has taken hold yet.

She was the last of her generation and will be missed.

Aunt Lin never married or had children of her own so we were her “immediate” family.  She was my grandma’s younger sister.  My grandma passed away when I was 3.

When I think back to my childhood, I remember all the things we did with Aunt Lin.  All the delicious treats she made for us.  How much fun it was to visit the McConnell farm, especially when my cousins were visiting.

I remember going out to the barn to help her feed the cats and tend to the chickens.

How I was mesmerized by watching the sheep.

There was a very long lane going back to the house and how it was always fun to jump out of the car to open the gate at the end of the driveway.  Our house didn’t have a cool gate in the driveway.

“Playing” the piano that once belonged to my great-grandmother.  I use that term “playing” loosely.  While I have since learned to play, back then I’m sure it was like nails on a chalkboard to our parents.

I remember helping wash eggs every Easter while the “Easter Bunny” did his hiding after church.  A job I’m sure not many kids have to endure on Easter Sunday these days!

Playing “dress up”  in clothes that had belonged to generations before us with my cousins.

I remember spending the night and really understanding for the first time what it meant to pray quietly to myself as a small child.  You know, something besides the little verses we all learned in church and said before meals.

Working in the garden.  Shelling peas, picking beans, husking corn, digging potatoes, you get the idea.  We had a garden at our house too, but it seemed that back then, we helped each other garden and shared what we had with each other.

I remember the selling of the farm.  And even though I was still young, there was a sense of sadness with that.

She had a dog named Diggy (a pomeranian).  Diggy had a sister named Wiggy who belonged to Aunt Lin’s cousin.

Aunt Lin’s cinnamon rolls were the best ever!  But then, she was really good in the comfort food area.

And she was very generous with what little she had.

There are too many memories to mention and, like any family, things weren’t always perfect.  I’m sure all those memories will all be relived on Tuesday when we join together in a celebration of her life.

I’m grateful for no more suffering and that she didn’t have to die alone.  She was a woman of strong faith so I know she is in a very special place.

family 2

 

© 2014 – 2016, Pamela. All rights reserved.

Pamela

Taking control of life and learning to live a more intentional, holistic, minimalistic lifestyle from the heart of my inner 70's flower child.

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