Memories of Aunt May

When Aunt May passed, I told my readers I would tell some stories about her. I am missing her phone calls and the time we spent laughing and having fun together. However, she is at peace with no more suffering and pain.

Aunt May was quite the gal. When she was about 18 years old, she took over the janitor's position at the one-room school a quarter mile up the road. Her duties included being at the school by 7am and stoking the coal furnace so the school would be warm when the teacher and children arrived. She also had to clean and oil the wooden floors to keep them shiny, which was no easy task when mud and snow was brought in. Five days a week, through rain, sleet, snow and hail, Aunt May carried out her responsiblities. No matter what happened, she was always there on time. She plodded through snow drifts as high as her hips in winter and what a struggle that must have been for her. She was a tiny woman, but she also suffered from the rare blood condition she had inherited from Grandma, who was her mother.

One morning she headed out to the school. It was pouring rain and a young man, who had seen her walking everyday as he drove to work, stopped and asked her if she would like a ride. She accepted. Before long the two were courting and in 1957, they were married. They had two children, one boy and one girl who are now adults. The girl married and had two children. The boys, who was on the autism spectrum, always lived at home. He treated his mother well and did a lot of things for her. When she lay dying in hospital, he visited her everyday before and after work.

Aunt May and Uncle Joe went through a lot of tough times. She was in and out of the hospital with her blood condition in the early years of their marriage. In 2005, Uncle Joe was diagnosed with prostrate cancer. When they looked into treatment, they found that he could be cared for sooner if they traveled to Buffalo, NY. For weeks, Aunt May went with Uncle Joe and spent days there while he had his treatments.

Through thick and thin, climbing mountains and trudging through dark valleys, Aunt May and Uncle Joe withstood the storm. He was at her side when she passed. A testament to the love the two had for each other.

In other news, we've had snow off and on for the last two days and now we are heading into a deep freeze. It is supposed to get really cold and the temperature is already plummeting. My car won't start, but hubby's van is running, so we aren't without a vehicle. Seems every winter the battery in my car dies. We just put a new one in last year.

On a more positive note, hubby took my mother to the bank and for groceries today so I could catch up on my writing assignments. He is always willing to give Mom a hand when she needs it if I have other things I have to do. I really appreciate the fact that the two of them get along so well.

Stay cozy and warm and be careful if you are driving on slippery roads. If you live in the northern US or Canada, be sure you have an emergency kit in the car and a couple of extra blankets. If you break down, do not leave your car. Last week a woman who lived near Toronto did just that. They found her a couple of days later under a pile of snow. She was alive and will recuperate, but there is no sense taking chances. ~Blessings, Mary~