I often write about different the world that my children are growing up is from that which I experienced. But I don’t often really stop to think about the affect and impact those changes have upon me. Tonight life decided to remind me that I don’t live in a vacuum.
Tonight’s lesson came courtesy of Facebook. A little after 11 PM I signed on and learned that my great aunt had died. I didn’t receive the new via a direct message or email. Rather I learned because my cousins had changed their statuses to mention her passing and to honor her.
It was a bit surreal and it took a moment to sink in. My aunt was the older sister of my grandmother. She was approximately 18 months or so older, although for the past 25 years or so she tried to insist that she was younger.
I can’t really say that she was taken too soon because 97 is a nice long life. But I can say that she was a very special lady. This means that my grandmother is the last member of her family, all of her parents and siblings are gone now.
It is a surreal experience learning about death via Facebook. In some ways it was incredibly impersonal and yet in others it felt a bit more intimate. So many comments poured in from family that even though we weren’t together it seemed otherwise.
Because I got the news so late in the evening I haven’t any idea as to whether my parents or siblings are aware of this. I rather suspect that my mother will call me early tomorrow to let me know. She’ll be shocked to learn that I already heard the news and especially surprised to learn how.
Well, changes impact us all. I’ll miss my aunt, she was a special lady and a lot of fun. Baruch Dayan Emet.
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