102 years and 9 months. That is how long my Aunt Dora Minnefor lived on this great earth. Early yesterday morning, she passed into the loving arms of God. She was an incredible woman. She was independent yet was always there at any time to help others. She was my father's sister . When my mother passed away when I was five years old my dad didn't even ask her, Aunt Dora just moved in. She took wonderful care of my sisters, Melabee and Roberta, and me.
A few years ago, Aunt Dora went through the stage where she told everyone not to buy her gifts for anything. Not birthday gifts, no Mother's Day gifts, no Easter gifts and no Christmas gifts. As we were looking through her address book yesterday I came across something I wrote to Aunt Dora for her birthday when she didn't want a gift. I had forgotten about it until I opened the paper. It holds true today.
Dear Aunt Dora,
I promised not to buy you a gift but I wanted to share these thoughts with you.
Your Gift To Me
While making gravy,
Working outside the home,
Or taking care of those you love,
You showed how all these things are done
With never a complaint.
Gladly sharing stories of how things used to be
And using them to show us how to be
The best that we could be.
I only hope that I can share with others
What you have shared with me-
Simple acts, yet precious gifts
Forever in my heart.
Happy Birthday.
Love, Dorinda
We beseech Thee, O Lord, in Thy mercy to have pity on the soul of Thy handmaid; do Thou, who hast freed her from the perils of this mortal life, restore to her the portion of everlasting salvation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
