the flower bed

In August I wrote about my Aunt and how she had been diagnosed with lung cancer. It was inoperable, and unfortunately it spread into her lymph nodes. Mum called me earlier to tell me that she was in the hospital, that she'd found a lump in her neck yesterday and two more this morning. While we were talking, Dad came home and said that Auntie Vi had died about half an hour earlier (10:00 p.m.) with her 3 kids and her 3 brothers with her. Most of her grandkids were able to see her recently, so she died as she lived, surrounded by loved ones.

Auntie Vi was the oldest of 4, with 3 younger brothers. She was predeceased by her husband, my Uncle Nick, and is survived by 1 son, 2 daughters, a daughter-in-law, 4 grandsons, 2 grandaughters, 3 brothers, 3 sisters-in-law, 2 special cousins and their families here in Canada as well as several more in Norway, and many nieces and nephews. She was a fun person, quick to laugh and her door was always open to company. She used to give my sister and me a cup of sugar and a stick of rhubarb to dip into it. We spent hours eating from her raspberry patch and "finding" little dishes of candy that always seemed to be full.

In honour of Auntie Vi, I'm replacing my usual lily with a viola.

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God bless you, Auntie Vi.
You're sure going to be missed.[/align]