This past weekend, I was thinking about an aunt by marriage,
I had seen her on and off throughout the years and always
enjoyed her company but I can’t say I knew her intimately.
Just about ten days ago a group of us were bundled together
so to speak, one from out of town, and we hadn’t seen
each other in many years. We sat around a table and talked,
and laughed about things that even happened in high school.
My aunt ate jelly beans and looked at me and said her hair
was her natural color, with all seriousness. I’m sure it was.
I remember when I left there that day, I thought, I’ve been in this
room before about thirty some years ago and seen many of these people
in this kitchen, or other places but now it was different. Each one of us
had something we were struggling with be it health or life circumstance.
We were different. The room only different from furnishings, appliances,
and a fresh change of candles, a warm scent and the breeze. But we,
we were different.
The chaplain said my aunt went very peacefully. That is the way I want to go.
I know where I’m going and believe me, there are days when heaven not only
sounds sweeter but I think that I can see a room waiting especially for me.
And once there I will never grow beyond my surroundings, age past them,
or be too ill to enjoy them.
When we left that day, I leaned over and kissed my aunt and said goodbye sweetie.
I’m not sure why I addressed her that way. It was a little more of an adolescent
greeting. But it seemed natural. Maybe I was thinking
how sweet heaven is, how her breath smelled like jelly beans,
and how the candles burning in the other rooms around us made it
the most pleasant of days, the most pleasant ways to say goodbye for good,
without knowing we really were.
