Auntie Linda

From February 2015 

We have had more than our share of grief in our family in the last 18 months.  Maybe that is an unfair or inaccurate statement, but we as a collective family unit- especially those on my dad's side of the family- have had quite enough thank you very much. 

Of course December of 2018 we lost my mom and then 6 month later my brother.  Only a few weeks later my uncle David died also,  and now my aunt Linda.

It seems kind of unfair that I am writing about one of my relatives and not others...  I don't think I even wrote about my brother, because that was all just too awful to relive at that time and now it seems like its been too long.  I have had several of my aunties and uncles die over the last few years and again- there are so many stories to tell.  Maybe I need to begin a collection of stories on one post and publish them here at some point.

I've always felt very close to my aunt Linda- she was person who was joyful and she made my heart happy.  The story that I was always told was that Linda was about 15/16 when I was born and I was the first grandchild on my dad's side of the family- and so I was an event.  When I think of Linda I remember her saying the words "little debbie" in a very specific way that makes me smile so big.  Anyway, Linda according to my mom, was enthralled with me.  My mom also said she had to "get me back" from this young teenage girl, and while I am not sure what that entailed I always felt the love coming from Linda.  I am not sure why, but it was she was one of those people I just felt connected to more deeply than most people. Im at that point in my life, or maybe it is just me, that I am sensitive to thinking other relatives might feel sad if I say this, but it is just the truth.  I don't know how or why, but she was just someone I adored.  always.

I had a lot of strong female role models growing up and I am forever grateful for that experience.  I have memories of her babysitting for us when we lived in a couple different houses, and I imagine somewhere in there she went off to nursing school and of course a child's memory is incomplete.  She was at all the family gatherings and celebrations and when she got married and had kids, there was more to love.  Uncle Larry was an awesome uncle, so much fun to be with and I did a lot of babysitting at their house in South Beloit.  I remember that house so well, but I am not sure if I could find it again.

Watching Karla and Kevin and Kurt was a big part of my adolescent summers, along with the St Bernard, Heidi, and all the craziness that went with that household.  My mind is flooded with memories of big bowls of popcorn, the swimming pool they set up in the back yard, the different places we went to together.  Trying not to be spooked waiting for them to come home from going out somewhere.  I shared a lot of things with her, I knew a lot about her, the good things and the tough things to know.  New stories keep popping up, but there are too many to tell.

I have just two more  that I will touch on, first when my dad lay in hospice- breathing his last and I broke down.  As we all have experienced, this kind of loss is beyond words. Linda was with me, she was in the little room next to his and let me cry and tell her how I felt. She told me that it was ok, that what ever I felt was good.  Not everyone reacts the same way and whatever I needed to do was the right thing. I always felt loved and her words were the most loving thing she could have done.  

5 years ago when I did the broken elbow thing, I got an unexpected phone call.  It was the end of February and I had probably been back to work at least part of the time.  Anyway, it was aunt Linda and she was in Phillips!!  She had a friend from nursing school she was visiting and she wanted to stop by and see how I was.  It took her some time to get up here and she was not really familiar with technology and mapping and the like, but she managed to get here and spent an hour or so with me before she went back.  It was an amazing surprise and was just what I needed.  She caught me up with her kids, all about her grandchildren who she loved so much, the things she had been doing.... it was wonderful.

Fast forward to last year and my poor aunt was not the exuberant soul that she used to be.  She was there at my moms funeral, but she was not her usual self.  I am so grateful she knew me, but her laugh and quick wit were missing.  I am not sure of the health issues she all had, but it didn't matter.  I was so sad when we made first eye contact and I smiled big, but she barely acknowledge it in her face.  She said later that she knew me and we talked a little, but it was not the story telling, funny sweet aunt I knew.   But it didn't matter.  At least I got to see her again.

Unfortunately she had mounting health problems that led to hospice a couple weeks ago.  In this crazy set of circumstances,  hospice is not what it needs to be, with no visitors and the like.  Fortunately her daughter and one son were able to be with her on her last day.  And they of course had to have a small service  with only immediate  family and her sister my aunt Ruth.   We could not go and be with her kids like she was for us.  and that is so so sad.

I don't feel like this tribute tells the tale of how attached I felt to her.  Though I didn't see her often lately, I was always so happy when I did.

There are so many things to remember- her house in South Beloit and then in Shopiere.  I remember her red record of the Chipmunks that she would play for me.  She and I made flowers in their  air-conditioned camper for my wedding cake a few weeks before I got married, and she made my wedding cake.  Speaking of air-conditioning, their house had it and it was the first I ever experienced that in those hot southern WI summers.  She would drop by moms house when she knew I was down with my kids, visiting.  I would gravitate to where she would be, during family get togethers,  usually with my mom and her sister and I just remember mostly being loved. 

I wish for you the joy of a special person, someone who makes you feel like you are prized and loved.  Someone who lights up when you see them, and you feel their love always.