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My Aunt Kate was a fiery red head who had the stereotypical temper to match. She and my Uncle Buck never had any children so all the nieces and nephews became "hers." She took us on vacation trips to the beach and the mountains. For me, this was the most wonderful thing in the world because with a three boisterous brothers and me, my parents did not have a lot of money for the "wants" we had. They took care of our needs and we were very happy, but Aunt Kate was special. She worked at Woolworth's in South Park Mall in Charlotte and I thought she was the greatest person in all the world! 
As I walked into Target this afternoon, the beautiful greens, yellows, and lavenders of the Easter season greeted me. Colorful Easter baskets lined the aisles with their shallow basins ready to stuff with chocolates, jelly beans, marshmallow chicks, and plastic eggs filled with treats. This time of the year always brings my Aunt Kate to mind because every year she would carefully and thoughtfully prepare Easter baskets for each niece and nephew around some theme that she knew we would love.
Being the only girl with two older brothers and one younger, you might assume I was spoiled rotten. However, at the age of 7, I could not imagine anything as horrible as being in this family with my mean brothers. They ganged up on me and constantly teased me. (Please don't misunderstand, we were and still are a loving, close-knit family.) I was surrounded by "boy stuff," and I wanted some to have some "girly stuff" that I could play with once in a while.
My Aunt Kate knew that I had a tough time in the realm of sibling affairs. She decided that year that she would whip up an extra special frilly Easter basket for me. I think she must have bought out every color of fingernail polish at Woolworth's that year! I had a lovely purple and pink basket with nail polish, a Barbie doll with two outfits complete with tiny plastic shoes, a tube of "grown up" lipstick (a very light pink that was Mom-approved), and some little white gloves with lace to wear with my Easter dress to church on Sunday. Oh and enough candy and chocolate to keep a little girl's tummy happy for some time!
She worked at a dime store so she really didn't spend much on what she put in my basket, but she gave me so much that year. She let me know I was special. She gave me permission to be pretty and feminine and enjoy being a little girl in a house of rowdy boys!
This is the kind of auntie I strive to be! I hope that my one niece (with three brothers) feels special when I go the extra mile for her. The hardest part is that she is more of a tom boy than a couple of her brothers! :) However, being an adventurist myself, we find ways to be tom boys together without the competition of the brothers, so hopefully that counts, too! :) I hope she writes about me like this some day!
ReplyDeleteI bet you and your niece have a ball together! I have been reading your slices and I'm sure you are this kind of auntie! Thank you, Jen, for commenting and congrats on winning the commenting challenge--don't know how you did it (commenting on 140 blogs is crazy good!!).
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