Last week, my Aunt Pat, who was 79 years old and living in Wilmington, NC passed away from unknown causes. Apparently a work man was scheduled to come to the house for repairs and got concerned when she didn't answer the door or the phone. Concerned, he called the cops who then broke into her house to find my Aunt sitting in her favorite chair... seemingly just sleeping.
When I look back at my Aunt and this unfortunate news, I can't really be too terribly depressed. Yes, it sucks that my Aunt is no longer with us, but... looking back on it all, she lived a great life right until the end and hopefully, her passing was quick and painless. If anything, I see this as an opportunity to celebrate my Aunt's life.
You know, my brother and I always referred to my Aunt as "Auntie Mame" because she was such a riot (if you've seen the movie or read the book.... you know exactly what I mean.) Whereas other people her age knitted and collected Hummel figurines, Aunt Pat drank, smoked, met men at the bar, played golf and told inappropriate stories. She really did live life to the fullest and never seemed to slow down. In fact, she carried on right till the very end. I'd like to think that she had a smoke, fixed herself a nice strong drink and then sat down to relax at the end of the day.
I'll always remember visiting Aunt Pat when we were children and she lived outside of DC. This was always a highlight of the summer as it meant getting to eat Maryland crabs, tons of port wine cheese and crackers, visit all the Smithsonian Museums, the National Monuments, and sit out on her balcony watching all the people in her neighboring apartments come and go. I always enjoyed those visits and later when she moved to North Carolina, there were also more crabs to be consumed, but there were also warm beaches to visit and big cypress trees to hang from. With going away to college and then moving to the West Coast, it became fewer and farer between visits, but I made a point to go to my cousins (her granddaughters) wedding in Reno this summer to see her again. As well, just a few days before her passing I marked in my 2011 planner a trip to go visit her on her 80th birthday in April.
So- So long Aunt Pat... may you be remembered with a smile and a laugh always.
"Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death." -Aunite Mame
Oh, and I took your advice Aunt Pat:
