What makes my Aunt GREAT...

In my opinion dedication, love, helpfulness, and compassion make an Aunt great! In describing that I just described my Aunt Kathy. Most of us are blessed with an Aunt or two, but very few are blessed with one that is great. Growing up she was always around to experience my life changing moments from performances, graduations, birthdays, pageants, my wedding and the birth of my baby Girl. My Aunt never missed a thing and the consistency she brought was always refreshing! I am blessed with a very tight knit family,that finds joy in each others accomplishments and encourages one another in our moments of pain and weakness. I can't say that I have a ton of childhood memories, but some that I do remember include my Aunt. I can remember many sleepovers with my cousins that included games, forts, scavenger hunts and of course what family doesn't listen to the police scanner. I can see us now all huddled together on my Aunt and Uncles bed imagining what craziness was going on in the city around us.  Then there was the swimming pool... I believe my cousin and I (Elyse and I are about 3 weeks apart in age) learned to swim by age 2, I mean full on jump in, swim to the side, get out and do it a million more times. I can see myself age 6 kneeled beside the pool arms in the arm, fingertips touching with my Aunt kneeled beside me teaching me to dive. She must have patiently kneeled there until her knees were black and blue, just to teach me that perfect 10...I can see myself again at around eight, my Aunt slicing up an ADULT Tylenol, stuffing it in cantaloupe and tell me just swallow the fruit and the pill will go down! Well needless to say the fruit did but that not so chewable pill did not!!!!   Age 12, Disneyland one of our favorite family past times, but this time was different. My Aunt bribed me to finally after 12 years of Disneyland passes to ride a ROLLSRCOASTER... She offered me one whole dollar to ride "Big Thunder Mountain", let's just say it was the ride of my life, but she still owes me that dollar... My Aunt is the role model I follow as I am now an Auntie, I promised myself and Marley Grace that I wouldn't miss a single milestone. Whether its being a whitness to Marley's birth,praying for her as she was dedicated to the Lord, holding her hand as we walk across the street, cheering for her as she goes potty like a big girl, graduates, get married and starts a family of her own I plan as her AUNT to be there every step of the way and that goes the same for my future Nieces, Nephews and even my cousins kids that I consider my own. We are a family and I plan to keep the tight knit tradition alive. With the news of my Aunts recent diagnosis of breast cancer I struggle with the fear of the future, but I know that God is all powerful and even though the cancer is aggressive my Lord is more aggressive! Auntie I just want to thank you for introducing me to new experiences, for making me comfortable to try new things, see the world in a different light and not be afraid to go out of my comfort zone. I love you for you and for teaching me through this process to put my trust in God!- xoxo your Richie