Today, July 10, my Aunt Gertie is 99 years young. I am 29 years younger than she is, and it is hard for me to imagine myself at 99. I am not sure it is something I even want to be, but I leave those things up to my Lord, as he knows best.
I called Aunt Gertie up the other day, to wish her a happy birthday, and also to find out when she would be available to have company. Of course, she was having some today, on her special day, however, since my granddaughter had a softball game, and my grandson has a Little League game tonight, it wouldn’t work for me to come today.
I asked her about the weekend, but, of course, she is busy, so now we have planned for me to come next week. Little League should be over by then, and there is no softball game Wednesday afternoon. Of course, I have some other things penciled in on my calendar, but they are things that can be changed.
Visiting would be easier and more often if she lived closer. It is about a three-hour trip for me to go to Waterford. The round trip can be done in one day in a pinch, however I try to stay over two nights, so we have one full day for visiting. After all, her sister, Aunt Gussie, who is 98, lives about 45 minutes away, so we either arrange to go there, or her daughter brings her to Waterford.
At least her sister, my Aunt Eva, who is 95, only lives around the corner from Aunt Gertie, so I know there will be visiting and card playing going on. I do expect to lose some coins in the card playing, because their minds are sharp.
“I know I am slowing down,” Aunt Gertie admitted to me over the phone. “But what can you expect at my age.”
I am sure that all three of them are slowing down, but so am I, I can’t help but think. I don’t know why I am blessed to have three wonderful aunts still going strong into their 90s, but I treasure them, and the time I spend with them.
They are my Pa’s three youngest sisters, and the only link I have to that generation. Since Pa was the oldest in the family, they were still children when he was an adult, but they share memories of him with me. Somehow, visits with them take me back to my childhood, when Pa and Ma in the front seat, and my brother and I fighting in the back seat would make our trek down to visit. My oldest brother usually stayed home to do the chores.
The trips home would be quieter for me. I know I never left there without hugs and tears. In spite of teasing from my brother, I would cry partway home, because I knew it would be a long time before I would see them again.
When I think of my aunts, I remember the Bible verse from Matthew 6:34: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”
While I seem to fuss and fret over things, they are calm and accepting of what the Lord has in store for them.
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