Thursday, March 9, 2023
I have my first memory of Aunt Betty when I was just 3 years old. I remember driving with her in the front seat of what was probably a big Buick and feeling like the hilly highway through Springfield was a giant mountain. She took me to the Bazaar to get my picture taken. And she bought me a little stuffed dog. She told me I was a really good girl.
I remember her room with big bed posts. It smelled like Chanel No. 5 and she showed me all of her clip on earrings. Puffer barked a lot so she would take me with her down to the basement to visit the cat when she did the laundry. She made the best dinners with julienne carrots in butter and dill and slow roasted beef that you could pull apart with a fork. I loved opening the refrigerator to see if she made chocolate mousse parfaits for dessert, and she always did because she knew they were my favorite. When we went to the dinner table, we would find the little presents she left for us on our chairs. When dinner was over, we would eat After 8 chocolate mints. I wanted to help out so she set up a stool for me in front of the sink and I would wash all of her pots. I would always ask for 2 chewable vitamin C tablets and I would savor them and wash away. She never worried about soapy water getting anywhere. She thanked me and told me I was helpful.
When I got older, we would go to cute luncheonettes around town and shopping at either Strawbridges or in little boutiques. She spoke to me like an adult and shared meaningful stories about her life.
When she was no longer mobile, we continued our lunches and our talks. She revealed how God was present in her life. The most important thing she taught me was that people need people.
In any moment, she still thought like she was 39!
As she lived to be 90, I had the most time with her out of any of my grandparents. She was very special to me and I'm very grateful she was a part of my life.
