Two Amazing People

On Christmas Eve, the day after my husband and I returned home from our first trip to Russia, my mom called to tell me that my uncle (on my Dad's side) and my aunt (on my mom's side) had both been diagnosed with aggressive forms of cancer. This was hard news to swallow, but we prayed for two miracles. We also knew God's will would be done. Just a week later, my Uncle Jim passed away. My Aunt Carole held on a little longer, but lost her battle last week.

I have always lived far away from both my Uncle Jim and my Aunt Carole, and I never got to see either one of them nearly as much as I would have liked. Regardless of this reality, I have always held a special place for each one of them in my heart. Even though they are now gone from this Earth, they have forever changed who I am and how I live my life.

My Uncle Jim was a big guy with a New York accent, a great sense of humor (he loved to laugh), and a heart of gold. He was the type of guy who was completely pure and true- he never pretended to be someone else. If you didn't like that, too bad! He, along with his wife (my dad's sister), raised 2 amazing sons- 2 of the sweetest and most respectful guys I have ever known... they are true gentlemen. This speaks volumes of who my uncle was.

One of my earliest memories of my Uncle is of the time he took all of us kids fishing. I think it might have been my first time. He taught me what I needed to know, and then let me have at it. I clearly remember standing on the pier, watching my bobber start to move. My uncle was helping one of the other kids. Suddenly, something was pulling HARD on my line. I quickly went from excited to terrified. The fish was pulling so hard, I thought I was going to gett pulled in with it! I screamed with all my might, and my uncle came running right over to save me. And save me he did! He helped me reel in a pretty big fish! After that, he praised me for not letting go. He kept telling me how tough and how brave I was. That was a big compliment from such a big, strong guy! I was thrilled. Later on, he told the story of how strong and brave I was to my mom and dad and anyone else who would listen. Uncle Jim became one of my heros that day...

If you had asked me during my growing up years what kind of man I wanted to marry someday, I would have told you a man like my Uncle Jim. And you know what? I did- minus the New York accent :0).

Some lessons I have learned from my Uncle Jim:

1) Take time for the little moments and truly be present in them.
2) Take time to encourage others.
3) Teach your sons to be gentlemen and to respect their mother.
4) Enjoy life!
5) Always be there for your family.
6) Be true to who you are- don't compromise.



My Aunt Carole was an AMAZING lady. I don't like to even try to put her into words, but that is all I have, so I'll try...

Aunt Carole blessed all she met with the most incredible unconditional love- she was friend to all. She gave 100% of herself 100% of the time. She truly wanted to know everything about every person she ever met- she was genuinely interested. And she was very direct- if she wanted to know something, she would ask you, and if she had an opinion, she would share it with you. She wasn't perfect and never pretended to be. And boy, was she funny! Her zeal for life could not be contained. She was THE BEST cook, and always made gourmet meals. My husband does not like to try new things, and is a fairly picky eater, but Aunt Carole's food was the exception. If she made it, he couldn't wait to eat it- even if he did not recognize any of it!

Aunt Carole had her priorities perfectly straight. Although she loved a neat and tidy house (did I mention how much she loved a tidy house?), she knew what was most important. She (along with my uncle- my mom's brother) raised 2 wonderful kids. She also had 2 incredible grandchildren. She loved kids- whatever delighted them delighted her. She often chastised me for worrying so much about the mess my kids would make in her house. She would say, "They're kids! Let them play!". And she didn't just say this, she lived this example. I am forever grateful to her, for this is one of the most important lessons of motherhood. I strive to be the kind of mother she was.

Lessons I learned from my Aunt Carole:

1) Truly love others- even strangers.
2) Speak the truth in love.
3) Don't miss out on the important things in life by getting caught up in the small details.
4) Be yourself- you don't have to be perfect!
5) Have fun!
6) Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself.
7) Be devoted to your family (and feed them well).

Both my Uncle Jim and my Aunt Carole were truly exceptional people and I have learned so many important life lessons from each of them. They richly blessed my life (and the lives of so many others)... Although I am deeply saddened because our son will never know Uncle Jim and Aunt Carole in the literal sense, I will always strive to instill in him the lessons I have learned from them. In this way, my son (and all of our children) will carry a little part of my Uncle Jim and a little part of my Aunt Carole with him always.