Aunt Mary

I just received  a sad phone call.  My Dad's sister, Aunt Mary, has been in the hospital for the past week.  She's been in a medically induced coma (unfortunately, she has had quite a few problems with her health since I was about 11 or 12).  They stopped medicating her, and did some neurological tests and found that only her brain stem is working, no other part of her brain has any activity.  I am so sad for my Uncle Ralph and their three kids, Glen, Allison, and Steve.  Uncle Ralph is such a good man, sweet, humble, teachable, really, a true Christlike man.  The family had to sign papers to remove her from life support to see if she will make it on her own.

Aunt Mary is the baby of the family.  She is just slightly older than my Mom, and has been very close to both of my parents.  In spite of her health difficulties, Aunt Mary always smiled.  She always laughed and she always made sure that you laughed too, only not at someone else's expense.  As a little boy, I was drinking a coke.  My cousin David asked his Mom if he could have one.  Of course, she said no, and when he protested saying I had one, she said "we don't care what Jimmy is drinking".  Aunt Mary would have none of that - she said "Oh yes we do" and promptly snatched my coke bottle out of my hand, poured what was left down the drain, and said "We do care, he can have a grape Shasta just like the other kids".  That has stayed with me my whole life (for the record, this June will make 4 consecutive years that I have given up caffeinated cola drinks - I think Aunt Mary would be proud).  When her time is up, she will be missed, not just by her husband, children, and grandchildren, but by her nieces and nephews, and all the kids who lived on her street at one time or another (little Scott, big Scott, etc.)  I will miss her smiling face.  I will miss her love of Mexican food, and of buying jewelry at the pawn shop (she got some great deals), and her infectious laugh.

Because of work obligations, I don't know if I will be able to fly home if and when she passes.  And I hope that my extended family will give her the best send off they know how.  She certainly deserves it!  She's a great lady.

I love you Aunt Mary!  Jimmy