Saying Goodbye when you are far away....

My Aunt passed away. She battled cancer of the brain right to the end and her husband, children and grandchildren will miss her greatly.

I'm dealing with mixed emotions today. I feel the tears build up and then they recede a little knowing that She is in a much better place today. I feel the tears build up thinking about her immediate family, knowing how much they will miss her warm smile, her great laugh and her always warm hug and then they recede a little knowing that they wouldn't want her to be in pain anymore and they will always have her memory in their hearts. I feel the tears build up for my Mom knowing that she will miss her for all the reasons that you miss a big sister...even if the age difference is so significant that she felt more like a Mom at times and then they recede a little knowing that she too has happy memories of her youth, their friendship and the many vacations and holidays that were spent together.

When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time visiting with Ma Tante Therese, Mon Oncle Ti-Blanc and their children. She was among my favorite aunts and as a child I was very discerning! Okay, so I wasn't that discerning. My method of determining how much I liked an aunt or uncle was based on how much attention they showered on me.

Ma Tante Therese showered alot of attention on me when I visited. Ma Tante Therese had only boys and I think she enjoyed being given the opportunity to shower some attention on a little girl who missed her Mom! After all I was the only daughter to her youngest sister.....and frankly that made me special! Or at least I like to think it made me special..... Those summer's I spent in Northern Ontario were a special time in my life. They became the basis for everything I knew I wanted for my future family. A big happy family that spent time together laughing and enjoying one another's company. I was young and an outsider. It was summer and I think just the fact that there was no snow made everyone happier than normal!

They were special times and Ma Tante Therese was a special lady. Today I will cry and then the tears will recede because I will keep her memory and all that she meant to me forever tucked away in my heart.

Salut Ma Tante Therese, je t'aime beaucoups! Merci pour tout!!!