LETS TALK ABOUT AUNTIES

I HAVE ALWAYS HELD THE POSITION OF AUNT

TO A HIGH DEGREE.

I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO BE AN AUNT AT THE AGE OF 2.

SOME OF MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS HAVE BEEN

MORE LIKE SIBLINGS WHICH HAS MADE MY 

GREAT NIECES AND NEPHEWS JUST LIKE THE 

FIRST GENERATION.

ALTHOUGH I AM GETTING OLDER NOW AND HAVE

GRANDGIRLS IT HAS BECOME HARDER TO BE 

A BIG PART OF THEIR LIVES YET I STILL

TRY AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH THEM ALL ESPECIALLY

NOW THAT THEY HAVE CHILDREN OF THEIR OWN.

IN A FEW CASES I AM EVEN A GREAT, GREAT AUNT.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT 

TWO OF MY OWN AUNTIES, 

(MIDDLE IS MY AUNT GA-GALD)

( MY AUNT NAN TA-TA WHO WAS ALSO MY GODMOTHER)

I HAVE NO AUNTS LEFT ALIVE BUT MANY

HAVE MOLDED ME TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE

OF THE WORD AUNT OR "TAUNT"

MANY OF YOU KNOW I AM A CHILDHOOD CANCER SURVIVOR.

THE IMPORTANCE MY AUNTS PLAYED IN MY CHILDHOOD

IS FILLED OF MEMORIES OF WHAT THEY DID FOR MY FAMILY.

MY AUNT GA-GALD, MY DADDY'S SISTER, WAS INSTRUMENTAL

IN WHAT HOME MEANT WHEN WE HAD TO BE AWAY FROM

HOME SO MUCH IN THE CANCER YEARS.

THERE, IN CHALMETTE, WHERE THEY LIVED 

BECAME OUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME WHEN

HAVING TO BE AT TOURO HOSPITAL FOR SO MUCH OF MY CHILDHOOD.

SHE AND HER FAMILY WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR US,

COOKING OUR FAVORITE MEALS, 

COUSINS GIVING UP THEIR BEDROOMS FOR US.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE MEMORIES WERE SLEEPING

ON THEIR SOFA BED AND HEARING THE 

LOW TALKING OF MY DADDY AND UNCLE RED 

AS THEY DRANK THEIR COFFEE AND SMOKED THEIR CIGS.

I AM SURE MANY OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WERE

ABOUT MY CANCER JOURNEY BUT IT WAS ALSO 

ABOUT FISHING AND AIR CONDITIONERS

(MY UNCLE RED HAD HVAC COMPANY).

MY AUNT GA-GALD WAS ALWAYS SO WORRIED WHEN IN 

HOSPITAL ABOUT THE FACT I WOULD NOT EAT.

I WAS 5 YEARS OLD AND WEIGHED ABOUT 35 POUNDS.

SHE WOULD PROMISE ME ANYTHING IF I WOULD JUST EAT.

ONE DAY IT WAS A MS. BEASLEY DOLL...

I GOT THE DOLL, I DIDN'T EAT... YES, I WAS SPOILED.

THEN THERE IS MY AUNT NAN TA-TA,

ALSO MY DADDY'S SISTER.

SHE WAS ALSO MY GODMOTHER.

SHE TOO WORRIED ABOUT MY NOT EATING

DURING CHEMOTHERAPY. 

ONE DAY, I AM TOLD SHE ASKED WHAT WOULD

I EAT IF I COULD HAVE ANYTHING.

"A LUNCHOEN MEAT SANDWICH"

THIS GODMOTHER OF MINE, WALKED IN THE COLD,

IN NOLA A FEW MILES TO FIND SOME 

LUNCHEON MEAT AND EVANGELINE MAID BREAD.

SHE GOT BACK AND OF COURSE, I DIDN'T EAT THAT EITHER.

SHE WOULD HAVE WALKED FOREVER IF IT MEANT

I WOULD BE OKAY.

AS I GREW SHE REMAINED A BIG PART OF MY LIFE.

TEACHING ME ABOUT MARDI GRAS AND BINGO,

CROCHETED DRESSES NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT ALSO 

ONE FOR MY CHRISSY DOLL

(REMEMBER HER, TURNED A BUTTON AND HER HAIR GREW?)

EVERY CHRISTMAS EVE SHE SPENT WITH 

MYSELF AND MY PARENTS FOR GUMBO AND

HER GIFTS WERE ALWAYS THE ONES I LOOKED FORWARD

TO THE MOST.

ONE I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER IS A

TEXAS INSTRUMENTS CALCULATOR.

YES, IT WAS A BIG DEAL BACK THEN.

I REMEMBER

LAYING IN MY BED THAT NIGHT WITH MY NEW

CALCULATOR GLOWING RED AS I DID MATH

THAT NEVER CAME EASY TO ME IN SCHOOL.

THIS MARVEL HAD SOLVED ALL MY MULTIPLICATION ISSUES.

YEP, SHE ALWAYS HAD THE BEST GIFT.

SO MANY THINGS SHE TAUGHT ME, DID FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.

WHEN SHE DIED I REMEMBER DOING PART OF THE EULOGY.

MY WORDS WERE IF YOU LOOK UP THE WORD AUNT

IN THE DICTIONARY, HER NAME, ANITA COLLINS GUIDRY

WOULD BE RIGHT THERE.

I TRIED TO MOLD MY AUNTIE DUTIES AROUND THESE TWO 

WOMEN AND ALL THE OTHERS WHO CALLED 

MY MOMMA AND DADDY SIBLINGS.

IF YOU ARE A FORTUNATE ONE TO HAVE 

NIECES AND NEPHEWS, BE A PART OF THEIR LIVES.

CALL THEM, SEND LETTERS, USE YOUR WORDS TO 

REMIND THEM HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO YOU.

TRY TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH THEM 

ESPECIALLY WHEN QUANTITY IS NOT EASY.

IF YOU MOLD THIS WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG,

THEY WILL REMEMBER WHEN THEY ARE AN AGING

LITTLE GIRL OF 61 BLOGGING ABOUT HER LIFE.

MUCH LOVE TO ALL YOU AUNTIES OUT THERE.