An ode to my Aunt Sandy

Whenever I go out in public, people always start smiling at me.  At first I thought that maybe the US was a lot friendlier than I remembered, but then I realized that it’s because I’m usually out and about with my 8-month pregnant sister who is the cutest little mom-to-be you’ve ever seen.  If you haven’t tried walking around with a cute pregnant lady, I highly recommend it as the world will seem much friendlier.  

I am super thankful to have this time with my sister during her pregnancy and to be able to visit with all of my Arkansas family.  I’m usually here 1-2 times a year, for no more than a week, and it’s always a rush to try and see everyone.  Thus, having 45 days of mostly recovery time has provided a relaxing space to get quality time with everyone. 

With my Aunt Sandy who kindly drove me to a local park so I could walk longer. 

World's cutest pregnant lady, at 8+ months no less! 

Spending a month in AR means getting to see a great Dale Chihuly exhibit at the local art museum.

Morning walk view while staying with my Aunt Leslie.  

While out on a morning walk this week, I started thinking about gratitude.  I’ve stayed at four different houses over the last seven days, and everyone keeps telling me I can come back whenever, even if I end up needing to stay indefinitely.  Maybe I’ve never been in this kind of need before, or maybe my experience as a volunteer has made me more open to accepting and appreciating help, but I see my family in a new light these days.  Everyone is exuding warmth, generosity, patience and love in a way that warms your heart and makes you wonder if the universe tweaked your back just so you could feel extra loved and grateful. 

While everyone has been super kind and giving, my Aunt Sandy is the crème de la crème and deserves an extra special shout out.  When I was a little girl, I spent the school year in Arkansas with my mom and my summers in California with my dad.  On the way to California, I spent one week with his sister - my Aunt Sandy - and her family on the east side of Arkansas.  It was a magical time of year when I ate name brand cereal and Rice Crispy Treats, went swimming in their community pool, played with my cousins and enjoyed outings to exciting places, like Libertyland.

My aunt at the beginning of her nursing career.

 Me, my dad and my Aunt Sandy way, way, way back in the day. 

Aunt Sandy with my niece Lilly last month. 

As an adult, my aunt always kept in touch with me by phone and I tried to make the long drive to see her for a night during my annual vacation to Arkansas.  These days my aunt lives with her daughter's family less than 30 minutes from the rest of my family.  She's a retired nurse but still gets up around 6 AM to take the kids to school, goes grocery shopping, cleans house (resting in between chores to watch her beloved TV programs and ice her back), does laundry non-stop all day long, picks the kids up from school, makes dinner, cleans the dishes, helps the kids with schoolwork, makes sure the kids get baths, and then takes a shower and goes to bed, usually all before 8 PM.  She’s in her early 60s and has her own aches and pains, so simply watching her orchestrate this whirlwind of a day is impressive. 

I’ve spent the majority of my time here in Arkansas at my Aunt Sandy’s house so let me tell you about some of the extraordinary things she has done for me during my visit.  Because girrrrrrrrrrrl, she is one special lady.

• She gave me her bedroom and her bed – the only one on the ground floor – and has been alternating her nights sleeping with each grandkid.  Imagine giving up your bed to me for almost 5 weeks and having to sleep with a 7- or 10-year-old.  The woman is a saint.
• She has done my laundry during my entire visit.
• She has taken me to every doctor's appointment and communicated with all of my family about my state of health, including providing updates during my surgery.
• She has hugged me and helped me stay positive when I’ve been in a lot of pain or just freaking out about what may or may not happen with my service, life, etc.  
• She helped me get into/out of the shower and get dressed before and immediately after surgery.
• She gave me a phone with a US number to use during my time here. 
• She made sure that I got all the best, soft bath towels and still helps dry and check my incision area daily.  
• She's gone on daily walks with me and invited me to watch her favorite TV programs with her.
• She asked me what food I liked, and then bought it all to have in the house for my eating pleasure. String cheese, everything bagels, real turkey meat, Sunchips and baby carrots anyone?  
• Before my surgery, she made me breakfast, lunch and dinner and brought it to me every single day, and constantly refilled my water cup.  She still cooks dinner for me every day.
• She bought me a onesie to give to my sister (for her baby) that says "My Aunt is Single and Fun." 
• She talks with me about Game of Thrones and says lots of great things throughout the day like “Girrrrrrl” and “yo(ur) cousin” and always makes me laugh.
• She lets anyone come over to visit me at her house, at any time, day or night.   
• She talks about how much she loves my siblings and how great they are, and she let my brother and his family go swimming in her pool before the cold weather hit.
• She gives me a hug and says I love you every night before bed.

There’s so much more I could say about my awesome Aunt Sandy, but I think you get the picture.  There’s so much more I could say about all of my family here who have opened their homes and refrigerators to me and made sure there was always a small pillow in the car for my traveling comfort.  I spent three nights at my Aunt Leslie’s this week and it was the first time I had spent the night at her house since elementary school.  We talked and laughed and watched Barefoot in the Park (which was hilarious), and I got to know two of her daughters and her grandkids so much better than I ever had before.

Outdoor art, which my Aunt Sandy needs to see when she finally has a day off from all of us.

It’s awesome to spend time in the US and to be with your family, but it’s really hard to be on medical evacuation and existing in a state of limbo.  I’ve had a few days where the stress has started to creep in but then my family comes through for me.  My sister Katie takes me out for coffee and lets me feel her baby kick.  My sister Zoe invites me to stay the night and shares her big ol’ comfy bed and a bag of funyuns with me.  My cousin’s 3-year old spends an hour talking with me about how we can get drones from Toys-R-Us and use them to create a trail of marshmallows to find each other at Christmas.  My Aunt Leslie makes me cheese-filled ravioli and joins me on my daily walks through her neighborhood that is bursting with fall colors.  Both of my brothers call me just to check in and see how I’m doing post-surgery and to see if I need anything/when I can come stay at their house.  And Aunt Sandy is there for all of it, providing my home base, all the Honey Nut cheerios my heart desires and stories of all the hereditary ailments that could potentially come my way.  Ok, I'm not loving that last part, but I sure love her!