Reflections

For funsies, here’s a cute picture I took of Alex last night. He wanted his breakfast at 11:45 PM. I asked him, “Are you hungry?” And then snapped his picture right as he answered me yes. 

Today is the 18th anniversary of the death of my aunt Mary. She’s on the right in this picture, my mom is on the left, and I’m in the middle. I believe this was in the spring of 1992.  Aunt Mary was my grandmother’s oldest daughter. She was born in 1929 and passed away in 2007. When I was giving birth to my daughter on June 11,2007, we thought Aunt Mary would pass away that day. She was given last rights just as I was entering the maternity ward. I was afraid that she would die and no one would inform me just because I was in labor. I remember begging, PLEASE inform me when she passes, even if I’m with legs apart and they’re saying here comes the head, if she dies I want to be informed. They were all “iffy” when they said ok. I didn’t believe they would really tell me. At 5:00 pm on the day Anna was born, I called my other aunt who’s also now deceased. I told her I had the baby, and after she got done squealing with excitement, she said Aunt Mary was still in a coma. She said they held the phone up to her ear as my mother announced to her that she was now a grandmother and “mother and baby are doing fine.” 

I look back on that now and I kind of understand- I would not want to tell a woman in labor or a brand new mom that her aunt died. But I also really needed and wanted to be informed no matter what condition I was in. 

Aunt Mary stayed in a coma for the next 19 days and died June 30, 2007 at age 78. 

She was one of the cool aunts. Actually, all of my cool aunts and uncles are dead now, and the abusive ones are still alive. Why did it have to happen that way?  

I wish Aunt Mary could see my daughter. She also has two great grandchildren that have been born since her passing. I miss her.