RIP Aunt K.
Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 11:08 pm
OK, one more.
The K. stands for Kathleen, and she wasn't my aunt. She was Matias's great grandmother, and she was truly a great lady. She was born into an era and culture when women stayed home and took care of the house and kids. That changed when her husband died of a smoking-induced heart attack at 43, and she supplemented the meager retirement income he left her with low-paying jobs until she finally had to quit working when she went on oxygen 24/7 from COPD. The doc gave her two more years, but she beat the odds and lived 10 more, nine of them with a pacemaker. Financially, she got lots of help from the kids and lived comfortably but never extravagantly.
I loved how she was always up for anything. Even with the oxygen, she wanted to go on any trip, any adventure. MatiasGrandpa had to watch the altitude on any trip they went on, but it was still possible to travel over 10,000-foot mountain passes with a little advance planning and increased oxygen.
My mother died way too early, and Aunt K. helped fill the gap. I'll miss her terribly and will always be grateful for the times we shared.
The K. stands for Kathleen, and she wasn't my aunt. She was Matias's great grandmother, and she was truly a great lady. She was born into an era and culture when women stayed home and took care of the house and kids. That changed when her husband died of a smoking-induced heart attack at 43, and she supplemented the meager retirement income he left her with low-paying jobs until she finally had to quit working when she went on oxygen 24/7 from COPD. The doc gave her two more years, but she beat the odds and lived 10 more, nine of them with a pacemaker. Financially, she got lots of help from the kids and lived comfortably but never extravagantly.
I loved how she was always up for anything. Even with the oxygen, she wanted to go on any trip, any adventure. MatiasGrandpa had to watch the altitude on any trip they went on, but it was still possible to travel over 10,000-foot mountain passes with a little advance planning and increased oxygen.
My mother died way too early, and Aunt K. helped fill the gap. I'll miss her terribly and will always be grateful for the times we shared.