Aunt Mary, A Very Independent Ninety-Six!

 

by Pa Rock

Nephew

It's been awhile since I've mentioned my wonderful Aunt Mary of San Diego, California.  She had a birthday this week, something that I shamefully overlooked, but I just happened to phone one day later anyway, and we had a very nice birthday conversation.  I began by asking how she was doing and her reply provided lots of information and set the tone and agenda for the remainder of the conversation.  Aunt Mary's answer was forceful:

"I'm ninety-six-years-old, and I'm still driving and living independently!"  

And everything else that came up in the conversation all related back to her pride at still being able to take care of herself and live life on her terms.

Aunt Mary was born in Kansas City in 1925, went to high school in Neosho, Missouri, where she met and married my Uncle Wayne, and then she moved to San Diego with her mother when Wayne joined the Army at the start of World War II.  Aunt Mary and Uncle Wayne had their family - two daughters - in San Diego, he died young in the 1950's, and she has lived in San Diego ever since.  Today she is a great-great-grandmother who gets in her car whenever she needs to go someplace, and zips around the sprawling city like she owns it.

And she has certainly lived there long enough to claim title!

Aunt Mary is a beautiful person, and she and my cousins are wonderful people.  I sense another roadtrip coming on!

Happy birthday, Aunt Mary, and may you enjoy many, many more!