February 24: A Reflection.
This blog is supposed to be less a diary and more a means to share ideas that have made my life easier, better, or just more fun. It’s hard to completely separate the author from his story, however. And today I need to take a few moments to reflect.
February 24th is the birthday of one of the greatest ladies I have ever known, and this is the first time in my life I’ve had to spend it without her. My great-aunt loved talking on the phone, eating brown bananas, and going for walks. She loved to make people smile and to honk her horn loudly. If she were still with us today, I would have made sure to call her before I drove to work, because she always called to wish me (and everyone she knew) a happy birthday, without fail, before 7:00am.
Aunt Franny was one of the most important people in my life. She was silly, she was impatient, she was inquisitive, and she was kind. She was as real as they come, and everything she did was for someone else. We shouldn’t have had to lose her when we did. But I know she lived her life exactly the way you’re supposed to: without missed opportunities. She was genuine. She always told you how she felt. When those feelings weren’t so nice, she apologized right away. Usually she apologized even when she really didn’t need to. She treated everyone the way she wanted to be treated. And I guess while none of us can control when our time is up, she did the next best thing, by making sure she wouldn’t have any regrets whenever that time came.
It’s February 24th and it’s 75 degrees outside here in the northeast. I’m fairly certain that’s a record. It gave me a chance to go for a walk and enjoy warm air I haven’t felt since at least early October. Aunt Franny loved to walk. Even though she was 84 when we lost her, she still walked everywhere, all the time. She would have been 85 today, and I know for a fact she’d be out walking this afternoon, loving every ray of sunshine. I’m glad I could take a walk for her, and I can’t help but feel like this weather is her birthday gift from the universe, encouraging everyone to enjoy life just a little bit more today.
Get outside and soak it in!
Danielle
