Memories my aunt left behind

Life of an Angel

My aunt was the most amazing person you could've ever came across. She was such a beauty with her black shoulder length hair, her big gray cat eyes, her pearly white teeth and her charming smile.

"Annie" or Sandy, as everyone would call her never had kids but she claimed her grand and great grand kids as her own. There wasn't a thing that she wouldn't had done for any of us. Every time she would be seen with one of her grand nieces or nephews, outsiders would always ask "Sandra that's your daughter?"Or "Sandra that's your boy" and Auntie would always laugh and say "no he/she look like me aye"
Everyone have/had a family member that holds/held the family together. My grand aunt was the glue to our family. She always got excited when we would have family gatherings Or just a relaxing day by my Grandmother; her sister. Auntie always loved to have a great time. She had this one particular dance for every song that came on. We would always make fun of it but she never cared because she was having the time of her life.

Everyone knew in times of need to call on Auntie because she was always the motivator and the 'mother' of the family. She would always encourage each and every one of her grand and great grand nieces and nephews to be independent and to never depend on any guy to do for us.
I could still hear her saying "Shante if you bring any old no good man around me I will kick you and him in y'all hip"
I laughed and said "Auntie what could I possibly do with a no good man".
Her reply was "that's right" .

To her nephews and grand nephews, she would always encourage them to be great gentlemen and to reach for the sky. I miss her so much and if I could have just one more conversation with her I would let her know how much she meant to me and how much I loved her.
Everyone knew that I was the person Auntie called on. She would call my name so many times that the neighbors and the gardener knew my name by heart. She would call me to do minor things like to keep her company or to go with her to the store or even to take a drive by Grammy. You would hear her shouting my name from next door to us. We live in a duplex so her apartment was right next to ours. She would always call on me to braid her hair or grab her a glass of water. Many times I would get frustrated but I never once got annoyed when I was around her. I was a broken glass and she was always the glue. She would always motivate me to go back to school and pursue my goals. She would always say "shante I know you can do it so don't give up on your dreams". Even when I was giving up on myself, Auntie never gave up on me.
I could still hear her saying "shante what are you waiting on?"

I always dreamt of becoming as close as a successful young woman like she was . She was such a strong black woman. I admired everything she did from holding her family together to still having time for herself . She had time for everyone that needed her attention.I will continue to make her proud in all that I do.

I never thought in a million years that I would be writing these words down. Lord knows it's hard for me to go on without her by my side but I know she fought a long one and she's with the Angels now watching over us. I was messed up for days after she left me that I wasn't even sure I had the strength in me to focus on anything.

How will I find the strength to go on without her, the world may never know but I will do all that I can to remember her in my heart. For God knows the bubbly personality she had and how she changed and molded us into the person we are today. It feels unreal to know that I won't hear her calling my name anymore. Auntie I always thought that she would've been dressing me in my favorite color and watching me walk down the aisle but instead I had to dress  her in her favorite color and send her to her Heavenly Father.

My people you never know what life has in store for you so in the words of my Loving grand aunt, don't let life pass you by. May she continue to rest in eternal peace ❤️