Family

Today my niece is coming to visit.  I should be up and cleaning the house but instead I'm sitting here typing this.  This niece is so dear to my heart.  I look forward to her visits every time.  I cherish the time we get to spend together.  I want her memories of me to be something she looks back on with a smile and warmth in her heart.  I want her to know that I love her and feel it with each memory.

I have and had a few aunts that I visited whenever possible and spent time with and my memories of them are so wonderful!  One of my very favorites passed away just last year and it saddened my heart.  She lived in Illinois and my husband and I would try to pass through there every few years so we could stop and visit with her.  Aunt Dorthy.  She and my Uncle Red (my mama's brother) had 12 boys.  Can you imagine that??  I had one and it almost did me in!  She always had a smile for me, a good story and kept a sense of humor.  That must have been her secret.  My Aunt Loretta, my mama's younger sister (by 4 years).  She was only 16 years older than me.  Mom and Loretta were the youngest of the twelve siblings.  There was my Aunt Sally, Mom's older sister (by 10 years).  They were the only girls in the family.  That, of course, left nine brothers ... most of which married strong willed, strong minded and faithful women.  All of which raised a hoard of children that were my cousins.  When we had family reunions, they were massive but my grandmother was in her element.  She was always happiest when her family was near by.

When I take the time to hunt them up, I'll share some of the pictures of some of the family reunions we had.  They were back in the 70's and early 80's.  We used to rent out a boy scout camp to hold us all ... between 200-300 ... out in Wister, OK.  It was a lot of fun.

This was taken after my grandfather's funeral ... all my aunts & uncles with their spouses.

If I had to choose one person in my life that had the greatest influence on me, it would have been my grandmother.  She had a way of talking to me that made me want to listen.  She never raised her voice, she didn't speak in anger.  I don't think there was ever a time I doubted her love.  She was the most gentle, amazing and remarkable person I have ever known. 

My Grandmother, Emma Ewing.  

Somewhere I have a picture of her on my oldest brother's motorcycle.  It was at one of the family reunions.  I want to find it and frame it.  She was hamming it up for the camera.  I loved her with all my heart.  I'm sad that my children didn't get to grow up with her wisdom.  I will miss her always.