It's All Relative

There are the relatives you are born into and relatives that are adopted out of friendship. My Aunt Francie was actually my friend Linda's aunt. She joined our Bible study back in the 70s and it didn't take me long to realize my DNA would dramatically improve if I could draft her into my kin.

One night as the group had sharing time she told us about her phone ringing that week at 2:30 am. She groggily answered the phone and heard a woman's voice ask, "Francis, may I come over?"

"Of course you may" she replied.

After a moments pause Aunt Francie asked, "Who is this?"

That sums her up.

Open to whoever and whatever adventure life presents.

While her friend Ann and Frances were strolling the beach after dinner they heard orchestra music floating down from one of the hotels. They began an impromptu waltz. A much younger couple strolled past and commented on how 'darling" they were dancing.

Clearly not wanting to fall into the "darling" category Aunt Francie responded ,"And to think we are 92"! A full 20 years over their true age.

The young couple really gushed then and the last laugh was on the girls.

When my marriage was ending in divorce Aunt Francie was mourning the death of her dear husband Uncle Carl. I often found solace on her living room couch. One particularly lonesome evening found us commiserating as she sat ready for bed and I poured out my heart. She nodded compassionately. In a moment of out of body perspective I saw the scene of us on that couch. "Aunt Francie ", I pronounced "We're either going to have to change the subject or you are going to have to take those pink sponge rollers out of you hair! We are just too pitiful a sight".

We laugh about that to this day.

Last night we met for dinner and she told me about her stage three cancer and all of the consequences but you know what? We laughed through the whole thing. Sure there were a few tears and more than a little hand holding but our laughter was the umbrella. Proverbs 31 describes God's woman as able to "Laugh at the days to come" and that sure describes my Aunt Francie.

"I have lived my whole life according to the mottos in the back of McCalls magazines."

Aunt Francie