aunt wilma

Aunt Wilma and me :: Summer 1990 :: Bluebell Ice Cream Factory

On Saturday, May 18th my Aunt Wilma passed away. It had been a week since she returned to Bennington, ID, (the Crane family homestead) to spend her final days, and just over a month since she found out she had lung cancer.

Aunt Wilma is an awesome person who lived life to to its fullest and made the world around her a better place to be. That sounds like a cheesy cliche, but it's the truth. She was a true adventurer. You could talk to her about anything! Because she had done so many things she could relate to any topic. She was a runner, artist, family historian, optimist, nurturer, scriptorian, teacher, gardener, storyteller, caretaker, connector, lifelong student, world traveler, poet, cheer leader, comforter and friend to name a few. Among her many talents was her ability to make everyone feel important. You couldn't spend time with her and not feel like she liked you a just a little bit more than everyone else. She made you feel good because she believed everyone is good.

Late last year my Aunt Louise passed away and Wilma wrote, "the clouds will pass, the sun will shine again...and there will be laughter." I've found myself comforted by her own words during this time of her own passing. I'm feeling sad now because I miss her and all the the time I assumed she would be around to go on adventures and get to know my kids better. But I am grateful to know I will see her again and that families are forever.

The news that there was nothing more the doctor's could do for Aunt Wilma came the Friday of  Mother's Day weekend. I couldn't help but think that even though she was never a mother herself, Aunt Wilma embodied everything that a mother should be. I am so grateful for the sisterhood of women who enrich my life and inspire me want to be better person.