My Aunt Harriet

My Aunt Harriet is the coolest lady.
At 87, She still is.

She was raised in a small town, actually
an island. And she was the only girl, with
3 brothers. They were very protective as
she was one of the youngest. They tormented
her, as brothers do, I am sure.

Then she met a Navy man and her world
open up wide. She traveled up and down
the East coast over the years. Even had a
time in R.I. near family for a while. I have
great memories of my older cousins, as
my younger cousins either had not been
born or just born when they left the East Coast.

They headed to San Diego. I joined up with
them years later as a late teen. I was gathered
up and taken into the fold and been there
ever since. My Uncle is and was a strict Navy
man. He has mellowed over the years, or we
have wore him down.

But Aunt Harriet, lover of life, has always
been wild spirit of a person. Maybe that is
why we are so close. We are the wild child's
of the families. All the rest of the families stayed
in R.I. Her brothers and my brother.

At 40 she was 20, at 70 she was 30 and now
in her 80's she is timeless. She is so busy, I
would not be able to keep up with her if I was
living close. She has several quilting groups
she belongs to. She is a Red Hat Lady, she gets
together with her former employee friends from
the Library, that she worked for about 20 years.
Always on the go, and as I said she can out shop
anyone half her age.

She has taught me so much... the biggest word I
can think of and not to be taken lightly... is LOVE,
no matter what, kind of love... guess some call it
unconditionally love. She taught me patience,
she taught me ONE DAY AT A TIME type of
patience. But she taught me not to let anyone
make a fool of you either. Great cook,
GREAT MOM, and showed us how to survive
our children. lol.. She has been a shining example
to not only to me, but her two super daughters.
And her sons adore her. Well, actually we all do.
Sons, daughters, grandchildren, great
grandchildren and of course her husband....
she is loved so much because she loves so much.

And in my mind is a picture that will always ....
I mean, always be in my mind to the day I died.
Because it is so much...Aunt Harriet .. who has
more than earn the name of Mom ... The picture?
It was last year when I was there for a visit...
My Uncle and I were at the kitchen table
reading the San Diego paper as we did each
morning together..... when in the family room
just one step below the kitchen... came a vision....

My Aunt Harriet/Mom, came out with her
hands raised high in the air, and she danced
around the room,to the music that was in her
head, as she hum, with the most serene look
on her face, the biggest smile of all...
the wild spirit that she is....
the body might be getting frailer but the spirit
lives ever so freely....

They say the best is yet to come, I can hardly wait.
That's my Aunt Harriet/Mom...