Aunt Margie

The wind blew through the trees on that bright Saturday afternoon.  With just enough humidity in the air to make you feel a little sticky, the wind was a welcomed relief to those standing around the grave site.  She was gone to a better place, but that revelation was only so much comfort for those who had loved the woman so.

She was the matriarch of the family, not only of her children and grandchildren, but for her generation and at least 3 others in the extended family.  She was mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend to all.  For many of those people surrounding her for the last time, she wore more than one hat.  For me, she was aunt by the purest definition of relation, but in my heart, she held the place of grandmother.  I had never been close to any of my grandmothers, and that position of honor was bestowed on her early in my life.

I have only the fondest of memories for Aunt Margie.  Many afternoons visiting with her and Mom, drinking tea at the kitchen table.  During the winter months, it was hot tea.  When the temperatures heated up outside, it was iced cold tea.  Any way you took your tea, you would be hard-pressed to find a better cup in this country.

I remember conversations about relatives I could not even remember.  Stories about the antics of she, my dad and their brothers and sisters when they were young.  My favorite one being when she broke my Daddy’s nose with a cast iron skillet.  Another was when Daddy took her baby doll apart to see what made it cry.  When I decided to teach myself to knit, she talked excitedly about it,  giving me suggestions, tips and pointers.  I could practice from now until the end of time, and I would never be half as good as she was. 

As I stood with family and friends yesterday at the grave site and looked around the crowd, I realized what an impact she had on each of us.  It is not often one woman could have an impact on so many individuals, but she did.  The commonality we all had was her.    She taught to live life.  She taught us to fear God, but mostly importantly, she taught us to love.