Processing the news

Tweet

Bear with me, please. This going on old poet is in a bit of shock. And yet, my brain knew it was coming. My elderly aunt is gone. Two of my sisters contacted me today. I was out in the warm sun, dealing with dogs and showing my hubby a little sports track. My phone rang from inside my pocket. Its the end of an era. Trite and true. Fits like a glove. Auntie and Uncle had owned a machine shop. They kept distant from us poor relations though they have given us all Christmas money. Uncle had a small houseboat. Not a fancy yacht but a nice enough house boat. He loved the waters down in the Florida area. Their daughter lives there now. Auntie has been frail for years. I believe the excellent care that money pays for kept her going- at one point she probably weighed 70 pounds. Not joking. So she's gone. My Mom doesn't remember who my auntie is. She does not connect the dots that says: Oh. My brother's wife has just died and gone on. There has been so little contact with these people in my life. And yet I will have to keep in mind that Auntie should not be on this year's Christmas Tale list. I will not forget her encouragement; her telling me to submit my work to the New Yorker. She meant that and I appreciated it. Goodbye, Aunt Y. Sail on.....