Auntie Edna

Thinking of my lovely Auntie Edna, whose anniversary it is today. This is her with her daughter, grand-daughter and great-grand-daughter (on her 90th birthday I believe).

 

When I came up here to University Mum kept on about visiting "your only real auntie"  (all our other aunties were wives of brothers, various breeds of cousin or close family friends).  After a couple of weeks I dutifully went to Forest Hall.    

Over a cup of tea and cake Auntie Ed gave me a piercing look and said 

"Now! I don't want you coming to visit me out of duty.  I know what your mother is like.  You're only to visit if you want to see me." 

Thus making visits to her a pleasure rather than a chore.   

Mind you, once she retired it was quite hard to find her in, what with pensioner's and church social things. 

WhenMum passed away Auntie Ed was well into here nineties and in a residential care home with a lovely view of the sea.  I volunteered to break the news to her and drove to the coast with a heavy heart, dreading upsetting her.  As it was it felt as if she had reached the stage where such things hardly seemed to touch her.  When I told her she leaned forward, laid her hand on mine, and said “I’m sorry for your loss.”

Eventually the angel came for Auntie Ed and Cousin Daisy asked me to write something about her for the Order of Service. 

FOR AUNTIE ED

Warm, welcoming, wise,

Caring, cheerful, cuddly,

And always ready for a laugh,

She appreciated all the good things that came her way –

However small.

If something displeased her she displayed her disgust

But didn't dwell on it.

And while others complained about the thorns

Edna enjoyed the beauty of the roses.