My Mom is the youngest of 5 children. She has one brother, Allen, who is 86 - and three sisters - Nell, who is 94 (turning 95 in January); Jean, who is 93 and Ruth who is 81. My Mom is the baby at 75. You would never guess any of their ages. They are the youngest senior citizens you will ever meet!
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| Nell, Ruth, Allen, Ann and Jean |
Why, do you ask?
*They have good genes - you just can't deny that. My grandmother died at 79; my grandfather at 95 and my great aunt at 98. People live long lives on both sides of my family.
*They never have slowed down. They remain active in their community, in their church and with their family.
*They keep their minds sharp. They watch tv, read and do puzzles. They know more about what is going on in the world than I do. You can have a great conversation with them on almost any subject.
*They love the Lord and have amazing faith. They trust Him with their futures. They have lived their lives for His purposes.
*They have positive attitudes. They have been through a lot and all of it has not been pretty. They have had family tragedies and heartaches - just like everyone else. Not everything has gone as planned, but they are always looking for the positive and believing the best about people and situations. When life knocks them down, they just get up, dust off and go on.
*They have generous hearts. They are extraordinarily kind and generous with their time, their talents and their resources. They care about others and always want to do what they can to help.
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| Ruth reading to my girls. |
Ruth and Jean have lived by each other their whole lives. I have wonderful memories of being at their houses when I was little. They lived 2 houses apart. I would run back and forth and spend time with both of them. Their houses always felt like home. When we went to see my grandparents, the highlight was always to go see Ruth up in her room. She was a school teacher and she always had loads of interesting things in her room. She did a lot of fun things with us and spoiled us to death. My Uncle Allen and his family lived in a house right behind my grandparents so we got to spend a lot of time over there too. I loved my cousins. So many great memories. My three aunts live on the same dirt road in the woods. They watch out for one another and take care of each other. My uncle lives in town, but they see each other often.
Spending time with these precious aunts and uncle is a gift. They have loved me well for 51 years now. They are modeled how to live a life of significance. They have cheered me on - visited me all over the country and been a huge support in my life. I truly aspire to be just like them.
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| Nell, Ruth, Ann and Jean |
So today, I am so very thankful for my three aunts in the woods (and my sweet uncle!)
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