Happy Birthday Aunt Cousin Sylvia!

Today would have been my Aunt Cousin Sylvia’s birthday and if I am not mistaken, it would have been her 70^th I honored her this morning by singing to her with my mom as we used to do on her birthday. It helped me regain a sense of normalcy to today and I haven’t been as hurt and emotional as I have been the past few years. Outside of my mom, aunt and godmother, she was one of the people I could count on to see at a performance or major life celebration. She used to take me to see movies ALL the time. We would have Christmas dinner at her house. She made the best she-crab soup, EVER. I can just see me sitting at the dinner table in my high chair, then a regular chair saying the blessing for Christmas dinner. Around the table it would be her, her parents-Aunt Jean and Uncle Paul, my grandma, my mom, and another lady who was connected to her but I never remembered how. Every once in a while there would be a few more people at the table, but those were the staples. My favorite memory of having Christmas at her house was waiting for everything to be ready to have the appetizer course. I would hang out in the TV room and watch whatever I wanted, usually uninterrupted. That is because I was the only child at Christmas dinner. Another thing that I am thankful that she taught me along with all the other teachers I had in life was chivalry. She always ensured I opened a door for her. Thinking about her just jogged up another fun visual memory. One year, when my mom and aunt still had their balloon business, they made her an arch of green and white balloons outside her house. I remember helping with it and getting to be there when she came home to it. She was extremely happy and to know that I helped made me happy to see her happy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT COUSIN SYLVIA!