Aunt Lorraine

My "Aunt" Lorraine died on August 4th. She was 90 years old, born in October of 1915.

She wasn't my real Aunt, but ever since I can remember, I have called her Aunt Lorraine. When my Mom was a student teacher in upstate New York, she taught with Lorraine. She retired in 1976, before I was even born. She and my Mom kept in touch after my Mom moved to Colorado. Lorraine and my Mom didn't keep in touch over the phone or internet, but through letters. We always sent her school pictures, Christmas cards, etc. Aunt Lorraine always sent me and my brother birthday cards, Easter cards, and Christmas cards and the cards always had a check in them for $25. Aunt Lorraine was so faithful in sending us cards. She didn't miss one of my birthdays from when I was born until she died--only my parents have been that faithful in remembering my birthday. I always looked forward to those cards (and not just because it was nice to get a little extra spending money). When I got older, I liked to send cards to my grandparents, great Aunts, and "Aunt" Lorraine. She was like an older family member and was so generous to spend time and money on me and my brother.

I never met Aunt Lorraine. I have never spoken with her on the phone. All I know of her, I know from our letters and notes exchanged back and forth. She was generous to me and my brother even though she had never met us or heard our voices.

I cried today when I found out she had passed away. I'm sad she's gone, but I also cried because I no longer have any older relatives or "relatives" to send cards to. My great Aunts passed away one by one over the past three years. And in this year alone, I've lost both my Grandma and my Grandpa and now Aunt Lorraine. I feel such a loss because all of the people I was close to in that generation are now gone.

Life is short. I hope I can live it being as faithful and generous as my Aunt Lorraine.