Saturday, June 17, 2006

Tell Elvis I said "Hello"

Someone very special to me passed away today. It was really unexpected. As I heard the news all the promises I failed to keep came flooding back to me. All the memories, all the laughs, all the secrets...everything came back and hit me in the face. It's hard not to regret the unkept promises but even harder to realize the person is gone. I had promised myself after my grandfather died that I would never forget a promise or forget to say 'I love you' to a person who meant so much to me. I feel as though I failed to keep my own promise.
It's odd to have one person in your life at one moment and then the next they are ripped away from you.
I keep remembering all the things we talked about and did.
The day I gave my aunt the Elvis Christmas ornament, she was so excited and happy.
Or when I made her sugar cookies because I was unable to visit her on during Spring Break.
All the funny cards or how she'd start a coversation with "I'm not one to talk or judge but..."
That was her segway to discuss the actions of a family member. She was a gossip hound but I loved it. All the family dirt was mine, all I had to do was call.

I'll always remember how she loved Pepsi, Elvis and the local TV network(maybe she hated it, I'm not quite sure but she always talked about it.
My favourite stories are:
  • when she called into the local television station to complain about the driver's license policies
  • at another family member's funeral, she spoke with everyone. It was like she was running for mayor.
  • I loved the way she displayed her Elvis collection but if you touched it she'd "clean your clock"
  • I loved the way she hated the neighbors kids because they ran through the apartment building like it was a "g*d damn playground" or "if you're gonna bitch about the other neighbor's dog barking maybe you should quiet your g*d damn grandkids"

There's so many funny things she said and did that it would take me forever to list them. She wasn't one to talk or judge but...

All the plans I had keep pouring into my mind and flood every single thought. I was going to buy her a DVD player(okay my mom was going to but it's the thought that counts, right???) so she could watch "Walk the Line", I had a deck of Elvis playing cards for her, I was so excited to show her my Elvis theme bathroom. I was going to show her my surprise behind the bathroom mirror.

It's ironic how some of the people that are so important to us or touch our souls and affect us so positively leave this earth before we are able to tell them how much we love them. It's always been beyond my understanding how the people we love the most leave us so quickly.

All the things I was unable to say are here and it's as if now I'm not too busy to say them but it's too late. I know that my aunt knows that I love her but it's not enough.

Isaac Asimov said "Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome." I believe this quote is true. No one is afraid of death completely, they fear leaving their family, friends and life behind.

I know my aunt wouldn't want me to cry or be upset but I loved her so much. I will miss her so much but I know she's looking down on me. And since she's up there I hope she tells Elvis I said "Hello."

P.S. I don' t think she's missing too much at Lobsterfest.

1 comment:

Heidi the Hick said...

It's so hard. Always remember that she was a part of your life. Maybe you feel you didn't do enough, but you always will. I'm so glad I got to meet her.