A day for aunts

I didn't plan it this way, but yesterday became a day of aunts - and what a blessing it was.

First, I spent a couple of hours with my maternal aunt, Florence, who is recuperating from surgery. We chatted and visited until my uncle came home, not quite as long a visit as yesterday, when I spent the whole afternoon.

Then I came home to pick up my paternal aunt, Dianne, for a little road trip. She had invited me to go see a play in Sanford, N.C., and we made a fun "girls' night" out of it.

On the way, we stopped to see my great-aunt (maternal), Mary. She's very sick, but I hadn't seen her in a year and her town is on the way. She is amazing. Even when she tells me about her illness, she smiles. She was a missionary to China during World War II and spent two years as a prisoner of war. We talked about her careers after that, as a preacher and then a teacher. Dianne had never met her, and told me how glad she was that I had taken her along. It was hard to leave Aunt Mary, but we went on to Sanford to see the play at the Temple Theater.

Today is both Florence and Mary's birthday; Mary is 93 years old. I am so thankful for my wonderful family!