Goodbye

Tragic. That's the only word that comes to mind.

Sweetie's aunt, still in her 40s, finally finished her year-long race with pancreatic cancer. She leaves behind two sons, who have been her inspiration in this last year. You see, she was given just weeks when her "slight gall-bladder issue" suddenly turned to metastatic cancer.

It's a testament to the power of love, and the power of sheer will. She was determined to see her eldest get his degree in December. When that proved attainable, she decided to hold on until June, so she could celebrate high school graduation with her youngest. The rest of the time she had left, she spent making memories with friends and family, and suffering greatly at the whims of her disease.

How fortunate to have had that extra time. It seems that you prioritize things differently when you know your days are numbered and your time is short. Every time we'd visit, she would tell us all how much she loved us. She was a teacher, and she always had little things to share with the children. No matter how tired she was, she delighted in my kids and their cousins.

Still, when I think about how lucky she was to have the time to make her peace with death, I can't help but think about the time she lost too. Her sons, just getting their start in the world, must now go on without the safety net of a phone call for laundry advice, or advice in matters of the heart. Her husband, just ready to embark with her on the adventures of an empty nest.

I'm sad. I know Thanksgiving will come, and I will miss her especially then. We always managed to have some time together in the kitchen, usually just chatting. There was a bond between us; two girls who had married into the delightful craziness of Sweetie's family. From now on, I know that the holidays will have an empty spot.