...I feel that it is necessary to figure out what being a good aunt is all about. Lucky for me, I happen to have a pretty damn good mentor for this task, my Aunt (and God-Mother) Linda!
I have to say that I lucked out with this one! Not only has she spoiled me rotten since I could walk, she turned out to be a pretty amazing friend too. I really admire her.
I have many favorite memories with my aunt, but one that sticks out in my head is when I was 14, I went to visit my aunt, uncle and cousin Sarah in Detroit, MI over the summer. I think I spent 3 weeks there. My cousin was only 10 months old. My aunt let me make Sarah a birthday cake for her "10 month birthday" because I wasn't going to be around to celebrate her 1st birthday. That whole summer was so much fun, but for some reason, spending time with my aunt, making that cake really sticks out in my head!
Aunty Linda is a mother, wife, sister, nurse and an overall amazing woman and has come to be one of my closest friends. No matter what...I know if I need her I can call...even if it has been a billion years since we have talked. Which now that I am older and have a job and her kids (my beautiful cousins, Sarah and Abi) are older too, keeping her busy...it seems like we talk less and less and that, my friends, makes me sad. I wish we lived closer.
So this is what I have learned from my aunt...ways to be a great aunt...
- Always send birthday cards (to this day-I am fairly certain that she has never missed one)
- Always be available to talk...she once told me that she is only a phonecall away...always has been.
- Always be generous...never has my aunt put herself first.
- Always be genuine and be true to yourself.
- Have determination...hell the woman went back to school for her nursing degree with 2 kids and a husband
- Have faith--in our lives, a great many things happen that make you constantly question Why? I may not be very religious, but she reminds me that there are reasons for everything.
So all in all, I am hoping that I turn out to be half the aunt to my little niece or nephew that my Aunt Linda has been to me!