Friday, September 22, 2017
Missing my Aunt Mary:
Despite growing up in our family as "the ones from away", stationed at one base or another, my Aunt Mary's warmth and enthusiasms kept her present and central to our lives, no matter that we lived a town, province or ocean apart. And this in a time of letter writing, when long-distance telephone calls were made only in dire circumstances, and sometimes her brother, George, lived overseas without a home telephone!
Of all Aunt Mary's kindnesses during my lifetime, caring for her little nieces' border-collie for four years must surely top the list! Not many aunts would immediately agreed to bring an energetic, clever dog home, and relinquish him once he'd wormed his way into her family's affections. Thanks a million, Aunt Mary...you soothed my broken heart, and saved my Bruce. A great kindness.
Aunt Mary put me up, or put up with nerves, and drove me to the job interview which lead to my living down the road in Oakville for a good ten years. And her door was always open, her kitchen a happy place, her love evident every time I fetched up unannounced at Renzoni Road. Very occasionally Aunt Mary intervened; she once stopped me from driving to Ottawa during a snowstorm and kept me occupied for two days, until she judged it safe for me to continue. Thank goodness.
My Auntie gave me strength and great support, first as our family cared for my mother Jo, and now as my dad, her brother George, continues to live at home. Only days ago the telephone rang, and Aunt Mary greeted me, "Hi my Angel, how's my brother?" Well, if angels there be, there's now one more.
Mary Edna Baxter has arrived.
I am so sorry for your loss, most especially Annette, David, Marilyn and Sandra.
Missing you, loving you, keeping you in my heart,
Kathy
