Angels Are Real

Today is my Aunt's birthday. While she is no longer on the Planet Earth in the body we would recognize, we are going to celebrate her birthday tonight. Not one to miss a party, I am sure she will be there with us, in spirit.

People who knew her loved her. Period. My Mom is still meeting people who knew my
Aunt. "Your Dolly's sister?!" they always say with glee. One such person related a story to my Mom about how my Aunt couldn't wait to finish work so she could rush home to see her "baby sister." There is a 10 year age difference between them.

I remember going to my Aunt's home as a child and eating treats such as Lucky Charms and snacking on Ding Dongs out of the big freezer in the garage. Believe me for someone who got carob, instead of chocolate, this was a big deal.

When I was in college, my Aunt had a heart attack. I remember being on a break and having the privilege of bringing her home from the hospital. After that, we all felt my Aunt was living on borrowed time.

But looking back, I think it was more than that, after all, she loved life. She loved dancing, parties, food, doing crosswords, watching birds and observing flowers grow. Her excitement and zest for life was full of child-like wonder. She didn't take the little things in life for granted, rather, she enjoyed them.

Anytime I had Mom issues, my Aunt always had something wise and compassionate to offer. Her advice always helped me see beyond my side of the story.

My own son (I only had one when she was in physical form on Planet Earth), may as well have been her own grandson because that was exactly how she treated him. We are still dolling out Christmas presents from the box of toys she had tucked away, which we discovered after her passing.

"I just saw an angel, Mommy," Vinny told me when he was three.

"Does the angel have a name?" I asked.

"Aunt Dolly," he answered.