“She passed away at 4:00 am…”… a call from my brother… we expected her death….but not quite as fast as it happened…

My Aunt has been a permanent fixture in my life since I can remember… at age 91 even 8 weeks ago, she was full of life and energy….”I don’t feel real good” she’d say…and “I can’t seem to get rid of this cough”….. Oh, it’s probably an allergy of some kind, I opined…..Little did we know that over 30 years after she quit smoking, lung cancer would pay her a sad and merciless visit…

Almost instantly (or so it felt) she is gone…. spending the last few days dealing with her ghosts, her foibles and whatever other issues one who is constantly in and out of sleep facing mortality and fate deals with. Her son by her side, then a grand daughter… and another son. I was able to tell her I love her earlier in the week….but clearly I was in the way…. kudos to Spence.. who tended to her every need…

My memories drift back to age 4… visiting her house, playing with her middle son…and “Trouble” the big orange cat….her house always had a clean, unique smell…probably from the soap she used..My uncle working at the Body Shop and she at home raising three boys….never heard her raise her voice to me…never heard a word in anger from her…..and I was always made to feel welcome…. just like everyone else….Rest in Peace, Aunt Naomi…

Off to the office…life is for those of us still living…my new client now worries that even though he has Publisher’s Error’s & Omissions coverage, the policy excludes Copyright Infringement and Patent Liability…..so I’ll have to address his concerns.. and make the trek to Hugo and hopefully, get my new contracting firm presented, placed and paid for…..oh…and then I have that distributor to make a presentation to…..

I’d like to stay home…..and just feel the melancholy…maybe grieve a bit for my Aunt…. but life’s circumstances demand more….off to face my daily challenges…