My Aunt Dorothy died yesterday morning at 2am. It wasn’t a surprise; she’d been sick for a very long time, ever since I was little. For at least the last 20 years, she’s was supposed to die at any time, but she kept hanging on. Finally, 15 days ago, her son (my cousin) got married. Despite all of her health problems, an ambulance ride and stand-by paramedics were donated so she could attend the wedding. It must have been the proudest day of her life.
My cousin is a wonderful person. His mother has been sick all of his life and he spent so much of his time taking care of her. They were really close, even when he was going through rebellious times. And my Uncle’s devotion to her is what true love stories are made of – he never once strayed from her side or wavered on his path. As a family, they’re a testament to how things SHOULD be – how we should all love each other and support each other.
My aunt has always been an inspiration to me when it comes to spirituality. Her surety in her faith and dedication in her life are inspirational. She is the most spiritual person I have ever known – she viewed everyone in her life as gifts and saw only the good in people. And people responded to her so positively. She has so many people who are going to miss her and feel her loss. She taught me so much about life, spirit, the Universal consciousness of love, art, creativity, and individuality. She was like a blessed second mother to me.
I’m not too sure where my feelings are right now. I think they’re somewhere between sorrow and relief. At the end, she couldn’t speak anymore and she couldn’t write, either. She passed peacefully in her sleep. She struggled so long and I’m so happy she got to see her son married. And now she’s in the afterlife, with my mother, looking down on and watching over all of us.
I’m sure when I look up into the sky at night, I’ll see a brand new star there, shining down from above.
Edited to add: Moral of the story – tell your loved ones you love them, say thank you, and let the small things float away because they don’t really matter.
