Saturday, February 05, 2005

Saturday, 5 February 2005 - My niece and nephew

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for my niece, R, and nephew, B.

Aunt Kathleen never married. My four sisters and five cousins were her "next generation." We rarely saw her since she lived in Arlington, VA, while we grew up in Los Angeles. I remember her visits and the expectation and excitement they generated. She always applauded my progress towards adulthood. When my husband and I visited her in 1998, she was very pleased to see how well I had "grown up" (I was 44 at the time, enjoying a very rewarding time in my career).

So, with Aunt Kathleen's death on Thursday, I've been thinking about my heirs. Alas, we have a canine child, T, but no human ones. So, I turn to my sister's children, R and B. I hope that when I die, they inherit more than my "things;" that they choose to seek, find and embrace those qualities that made me different from others. As they search their memories of me, I hope they find a giving heart, a creative soul, a passion for work, and a love for the environment.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.

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