I have a family tree . . .

Yesterday I ate dinner with my Aunt Jana and Uncle Craig. As we sat there chatting about pets and choir music and yard decorations, I was struck with an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude for my family. I started thinking about my Aunts and what wonderful women they are. As I’ve been working on my late grandma’s final tax returns these past few weeks, I’ve been thinking of my growing up years and the role that each of my Aunts played. . When we girls were extremely young, Aunt Jana would pack up the four oldest and take us for a sleep over at her house. The early memories take place at Christmastime (when, interestingly enough, the majority of my Aunt Jana memories are) when we would help her decorate her apartment. I remember making homemade mice in walnut shells to decorate the tree and then recall climbing the stairs to her bedroom where she tucked the four of us side-by-side in her bed under a blue quilt. When I got a bit older and my Ninth grade Promotion was scheduled on the same night as my sister’s high school graduation, Aunt Jana was at the ready to stand in for my parents. She picked me up and had brought me a corsage to wear and I couldn’t have been happier with anyone else watching me walk across the stage than her. We have a special connection because my early pictures look like her. There is something in that small fact that for some reason has fostered a special love for her. . As I got older we girls started to spend more time at cousin’s houses for sleepovers. Often one or two – or even three – of my sisters and I went to Aunt Dawn’s house. Aunt Dawn managed her 4 kids and us by herself most of the time, as my Uncle was doing his residency. I hope that by inviting us over we softened the load by entertaining our cousins rather than adding to it! I remember her so creatively finding things for us to do – we would play with science kits or she’d send us out to gather potato bugs from under rocks. On Sundays, if we were good at church, she would bring us home and we could pick a prize from the “you were good at church” stash. I don’t recall any particular dishes Aunt Dawn made but I can picture myself sitting at the little table under the window in the kitchen watching her travel back and forth from the stove to the counter. For some reason, when I think of that kitchen I also can picture microwave popcorn . . . It was at Aunt Dawn’s house that I learned every spoken word and every song in the musical “The Pirates of Penzance” – and Star Wars. I can’t forget Star Wars, we watched that incessantly too! . Speaking of musicals though, my love for music and the arts is partially due to the efforts of Aunt Tricia. Though my mom taught me to sing, Aunt Tricia is most likely the one who taught me to perform! Aunt Tricia held a weekly Singing Class that my sisters and I attended with our cousins and other kids from around their neighborhood. Mom would drop us off every Friday afternoon and we proceeded to learn about rhythm and harmony and key signatures. Aunt Tricia made us each a pin-cushion music note – either pink or purple – that we covered in stickers as we reached various accomplishments. She taught us a wide variety of songs: “Evening Prayer” from the opera “Hansel and Gretel”, “Honey Bun” from “South Pacific”, “Somewhere Out There” from “An American Tale”, an entire song with nothing but the word “Meow”. We even occasionally sang music that she wrote herself. One of our great performances was putting on the show “Gift Bear”. Aunt Tricia took a picture book, wrote the music to go along with the plot, and adapted it to a full-fledged play that we put on for our parents in the backyard. I still remember the tune to “I’m the gift bear for the king . . . I won’t stop for anything . . . “. After most singing classes came the inevitable call home “mom, can we sleepover?”. We spent many a weekend watching the great classics, “Twelve Dancing Princesses”, “Singing in the Rain”, more of “The Pirates of Penzance”, “Kiss Me Kate”, and of course to class it up a bit “Die Fledermaus”. You could see Aunt Tricia’s touch wherever you went in her house, from the homemade curtains, and pillows, and bedspreads to beautiful homemade holiday decorations. She certainly doesn’t lack for creative and artistic talent. And now as a grown-up, I still want to follow in her footsteps and someday become a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir – some day! . One of my most vivid memories of my Aunt Luan is visiting her and cousin Ben when they lived in the duplex on Atkin Avenue. I remember a party in the back yard and she made a cold pasta salad with spaghetti noodles and olives and tomatoes and I remember that I LOVED it! I remember another party, this one held at our church bowery in Taylorsville, Aunt Luan had either just turned 40 or was lamenting about it coming quickly. Aunt Luan is the baby of the family and I recall thinking how this couldn’t be possible because 40 was so old and she looked so young and stylish. Of course, now that I am a few years away from 40 I know that she really was young then and I know that 40 year-olds can still be stylish! Aunt Lu-Lu was and is still the picture of energy and youth and “hip”. She wears the best clothes (I love to get her hand-me-downs) and her face is just full of joy and youth. I can’t really explain what it is other than to say, when I think of her, I feel happy. . Last is my Aunt Maryanne. I’m sad to say that I don’t have any memories of her from when I was little since she didn’t join our family until a bit later and my stinker Uncle Norwin keeps her living too far away! However, I love her just the same and one of the biggest reasons is because of how much she loves, and in return is loved by Grandma’dele and her sisters-in-law. Aunt Maryanne fits right into the family and is always smiling and happy. Every picture I have seen of her and every memory I have of her is one of lightness and cheer. . Seriously, could a girl have better Aunts? I have great Uncles too but it’s the aunts I’ve been thinking about. As my memories turn to Grandma’dele and what a wonderful woman she was, I can’t help but suggest that it was her life and positive outlook that taught these women to love each other like they do. And they taught us – the next generation. I love - no, I ADORE my sisters! Like my Aunts, they each have such unique strengths and gifts. I hope that my Maddy will have learning experiences with her Aunts like I have had with mine. I hope that she will gain a great love and appreciation for the extended network of teachers and nurturers and will become a full and diverse person because of the lessons she learns from her interactions with her Aunts as I have from mine.