Aunt Winnie turned 95 on Saturday. Her sister Grace, 87, flew down from Toronto to spend the week with her, and another sister, Fay, 81, plus various cousins, nieces, nephews, grands and great grands were also on hand to celebrate her. Her daughter was there and was very well behaved this year. It was good to see her. Aunt Winnie wasn't having much of the festivities, though. She screwed her eyes shut and seemed to me to be trying to pretend that all the commotion wasn't happening. Her home attendant had drawn on eyebrows and lipstick, which looked garish to me. It made me vaguely uncomfortable through the entire proceedings. I suppose I should focus on the love for Aunt Winnie that brings everyone out for her birthday, and on the fact that she is cause for us to gather and see one another after long stretches of sporadic contact. It was nice to have my son present for the first time in four years, and it's always a special treat to spend time with Aunt Grace, aka Miss Fix-It, aka Martha Stewart, and the only one of the six sisters still capable of traveling. Of the first picture of my aunts below, my niece (who is in the thick of dental school now and couldn't be there) commented on Instagram, "I love how the light came out behind them, like their halos combined. #beautifulangels." Yes.
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| These lovelies are 94, 95, 87 and 81 years old |
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| Waiting for the party to start. |
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| My son bore the cake in to Aunt Winnie. |
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| Aunt Winnie's sisters stayed by her bedside. |
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| Aunt Winnie's great grandsons. The room was packed. |
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| The view from Aunt Winnie's terrace. |
What a lovely, love-filled celebration. I am so glad to hear good news about Aunt Winnie's daughter, I hope that means she is doing better now.
ReplyDeleteSorry your mother couldn't be there, dear friend. But your handsome son was there to bring in the cake!
Oh yes. Angel light, indeed! And I love the way your husband looks at your son. Loving pride, pure and strong.
ReplyDeleteSuch a family to be part of.
Sometimes it is better to have mini-parties then to have everyone visiting all at once. I know when my grandmother was living she preferred the visits spaced out over a couple of weeks. Everyone would take her out for dinner at her favourite restaurants. She loved it!
ReplyDeleteI prefer mini visits spread out over the weekend at least and I'm only 67. I'm glad everybody got to see everybody and that the sisters that were able to come were there. I hope the daughter has actually gotten her act together and whatever you all are dealing with, fixes. Love that last photo.
ReplyDeleteOh my - your son has always appeared happy and comfortable in his own skin, but pictures lately are so much deeper. As though he is on the correct trajectory, his destinies to be fulfilled, with all the richness that life provides. And he knows it on some level. How wonderful.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous and lush. So much of the stuff of life in these photos.
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