Time can stand still...

Many of you know that I attended the funeral of my only aunt this past Saturday, in Palmer,Texas. She was 83 years old and died suddenly after a short illness. Actually, she had probably been ill for some time but was unaware of the cause. She had colon cancer- but was unaware of it.

She has lived a charmed life of elegance,comfort and financial security. She never had children but made up for it by spoiling my brothers and me on weekends. She and my Uncle George worked and he literally waited on her hand and foot. When he died in 1982 she had to learn the skills of life for the first time-things like driving,cooking and shopping for groceries. She got the driving down but never did get very good at the cooking and grocery shopping.

In 1985 my grandfather died-he was 92- and Aunt Mary decided to move in with my grandmother.Both of them played bridge and attended the local Garden Clubs and church together. Life seemed to just pick up where it had left off for them.

I was always amazed that the house and yard seemed exactly the same as the year before when I had visited. (I spent every summer that I can remember in that house). Even the crickets were the same- I loved it!! My family moved alot and things were always changing for me at home- but here- it all stayed the same.

When I walked into the house last Tuesday nothing was different- except it was a bit messier than I remembered. (Aunt Mary had grown weak over the last 6 weeks and had not been as neat as before).As I started trying to pick up things and straighten up a bit I happened upon this little sight in the bathroom cabinet.

That is my grandfather's shaving things- exactly where he left them-21 years ago!!!!I was amazed!!! I ran for the camera- and then I noticed my grandmother's make up nearby- right in it's place. I started searching for things that were in their places and found so many-it was comforting somehow. I found my grandmother's hairpins,comb and even her little pot of "rouge" exactly where it was when I was a kid!

I even found the gi-normous razor that I had used the first time I shaved my legs!!! Exactly where it belonged!!!

For as long as I can remember, I have always cried when I left that house- even as an adult. But this time was different- I didn't cry a tear.

 I'm not sure why but maybe it's because everything was in it's place- even the memories and the precious people who had made my childhood wonderful were in their place- it felt complete and I drove away happy and peaceful.