Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words

Aunt Lexa?

Yes Taren?

I found a picture inside the cabinet and I was wondering if you could tell me about it.

Of course sweetie! Oh my, that is your mother.

My mother? Auntie could you tell me about her and maybe a few stories?

Well Taren, I was going to wait to tell you about her until you were 18 but 16 seems okay I guess. Your mothers’ name was Brandee Dawn Holen, but liked to keep the last name silent whenever possible. Don’t get her wrong or anything, but she just didn’t get along with all of the other Holens’ that’s why you only have me and grandmas side of the family here for you, because she never wanted you to get into the things that her father’s side once did.  And as you know, your father passed away from cancer 2 months into your mothers’ pregnancy.

Your mother was a great lady Taren, she liked to help people and even when she was having hard times because she thought that if she could help someone else then her pain would fade away in the back ground and she wouldn’t have to deal with it. But eventually that caught up to her, when she had you she was the happiest person. But one day, everything just hit her at once and she couldn’t deal with all the sorrow and pain that she had kept to herself for so long and one day she drove and crashed into another car causing her to pass away instantaneously, but the others were okay and walked away with only a few injuries.

Before you were born, she made a will and made sure that I was the one that would get full custody of you. Which leads me to tell you this, I am not your real aunt sweetie, me and your mom were really good friends and did everything together. We had our ups and downs but always at the end of the day we made up and realized that just because we have differences doesn’t mean that were bad people. Once she wrote I was the legal guardian in her will, I knew that I would from then on out be your auntie.

So you’re telling me that I was lied to? I thought all of you said that she passed away from a drunk driver hitting her on the way home from work! And that grandma adopted you at age 3 and that does make you my real aunt! WHY LIE?

Taren, calm down, we said all of those things to protect you from getting hurt. This doesn’t make any difference between us; you will always be my sweet little niece even if it is not biological.

I guess I understand why you guys said what you said. Can you tell me one story about you and her?

Well, we were not that great of an influence for little kids to look up to. We had fun and lived our teen years doing stuff that we should not have like partying. But one time sticks out to me more than anything; it was the time we stayed at grandma’s house without anyone there.  We decided that at 1 A.M we would sneak to the gas station to go get drinks and we left a couple of our good friends back at the house so we didn’t make too much noise.  To get out without the neighbors seeing we drove down the street with no headlights on because we were afraid that they would shine in windows. Once we got to the gas station we got everyone drinks but got us mozzarella sticks, we ran inside the house and while everyone was getting there drinks we made the food and we both ate it because we didn’t want to share with anyone. This is the night that I will remember of us because it may not seem like a lot, but that was the night that me and your mother started becoming close. After that night we became so close that we just thought of each other as sisters.

Thank you aunt Lexa, you are such an amazing person for taking me in when she passed away and you have such a strong head on your shoulders. I love you so much. Even though I wish my mother was here, im glad that I have someone like you to watch over me and guide me through life. My mother made a fantastic decision choosing you as my guardian.

See Taren, you are just like her; you are good at making people feel better. You are an amazing young lady and your mother would be very proud of you if she was here right now. I love you sweet heart.