On Becoming an Aunt and Other Such Things

Well, 10 years ago I became an aunt. I was with my sister when she first went into labor. We were obsessed with General Hospital at the time, Lucky in particular, and refused to let the onset of labor get in the way. After driving me home herself she was finally convinced to head to the hospital. When I went into labor with Gloria I was equally stubborn, refusing to leave for the hospital until I could eat the ribs my mother-in-law had been cooking.

While my sister was making bold statements about motherhood, I was making bold statements of my own. As maid of honor at her wedding I confidently declared, "I don't do peach" as my sister tried to find a beautiful bridesmaids dress for me. When Abby was born, I wanted her to refer to me as Aunt, pronounced like "Ont," in a more British fashion. I was fortunate that the opportunities for me to give my opinion were rare, and so my sister was able to take the lead. I certainly learned from her experiences, and made my share of mistakes too. When we were much younger I told my whole family that "I only do women's work, like cooking, cleaning and taking care of babies." This got me out of mowing the lawn, but I am now eating those words. When I was in junior high, I watched as my best friend wedged her way into a baby swing only to have the firemen called to get her out. Just an hour ago, this scenario repeated itself with my niece, Hannah. So, apparently I am not the quickest learner.

As for laundry, I am always on top of it. I like to put a load into the wash and then start prepping for dinner. By the time the first load is coming out of the dryer I have everything ready to go. The second load gives me an opportunity to vacuum and dust everything, as well as to steam clean the furniture. If you didn't catch it already, I am dripping with sarcasm. I think one of the best things our mom taught us was that things don't need to be perfect to be good. So, we find happiness in the small victories like fresh sheets on the bed, that magical moment when the sink is free of dirty dishes, and when our children actually do something useful instead of destructive.

As a final note, I decided to keep my mom "young" by moving back in with her. Sometimes I like to pick up the phone while she is talking to someone long distance and incessantly ask, "Are you off yet?" Thus far, I think it has also served only to keep her annoyed.