Heavy Heart - Fond Memories

I got an email from my mother this evening that has promped this post. The email was to inform me that her sister, my Aunt Jessie Mae, probably won't be with us much longer. Seems she has congestive heart failure and hospice has been called in to ease the pain she is in. Aunt Jessie Mae will be 90 on May 16. My heart is heavy for Mom as she faces losing another sister.

The childhood memories I have of Aunt Jessie Mae are fun memories. We only saw them about once a year if that often and I can't say that we were close, but I alway liked her and only saw her as a happy person. She was the mother of four boys and to me that made her life seem very different and in some ways a little awesome. I couldn't then and still can't imagine being the only female in a house full of men.

We didn't visit them at their home often -- I actually only have one memorie of such a visit. They lived in Oklahoma City (I'm not sure it was actually in Oklahoma City, but in one of the towns in Oklahoma City). Their house to me was a house right out of a movie or book. It was on a street with curbs and gutters, it had a sidewalk in front of it and the lawn sloped. It was a dark red brick house that had steps leading up to a front porch that had a brick half wall around it. To me it was a very fancy house. I thought that front porch was the best place in the world and could imagine all kinds of things passing by as you sat there.

Aunt Jesse Mae and Uncle Marion also had a dog named Patsy. I thought was the funniest thing. Who named a dog Patsy? On this visit to see them it seems that Patsy, the dog, and Patsy, the little girl, were both in the kitchen with Aunt Jessie Mae and probably were both underfoot. The command, "Patsy, get out of the kitchen and stay. Get!" was given and you got it the dog and I both left. I don't think the dog was upset, but I was found in the backyard crying. I really don't remember any more than that, but I'm sure there were lots of laughs and hugs and me being brought back into the house.

Frances, Henry, Dale and Lloyd I don't know how you are feeling to be losing you mother. My day is yet to come for such feelings. But do know that your mother will be remembered in the heart of a little girl that thought she was a special person because she was the only *girl* in a house full of *boys*.

This is a picture of Mother (back right) taken before Aunt Leona (bottom left) passed away. Aunt Jessie Mae is in the center front. Beside her is Aunt Elsie and beside Mom is Aunt Ruth. I think the picture was taken in 2005.