Remembering my Childhood...Celebrating Aunt Margaret..

AUNT MARGARET

by:  P. Newman-Harris

My Aunt Margaret.

Was a real treat!

When we were little she kept us in the streets

Not just doing any old thing.

She took us to see Mary Poppins

and  My Fair Lady.

We even went to the opera.

You see, Aunt Margaret wanted us to "have culture."

There were five of us, so she often sponsored our outings.

She helped pay our way to Disneyland and, many other places we wanted to go.

We knew wherever we went with Aunt Margaret

we would have fun.

We looked forward to those outings.

We even had fun when she took us to work with her.

She cleaned house for a Jewish family, and we often

Helped her by dusting the furniture.

With Aunt Margaret, there was a standard,

Even for dusting.

When we finished, she’d bend down and eye the

furniture real good.

Then, she’d rise up slowly and say,

“Do it again”.

Aunt Margaret always had a husband or a boyfriend in tow.

The one that was the most fun was Uncle J.C.

He was a boyfriend that she finally married.

We thought Aunt Margaret was a riot,

But Uncle J.C. had us screamin laughing.
He used to stop on the green lights and

drive on the red.

The two of them together were a double treat.

We were often lookouts for Aunt Margaret.

She had an uncanny knack for passing up

our street

We’d sit bundled up in the back seat

trying our best to hide our laughter

as she drove by our street again and again.

We didn’t mind delaying our trip.  We knew

eventually, we would get home.

I remember once Aunt Margaret asked my brother

to look out for a pole as she backed up.

When she hit the pole, he said “Aunt Margaret

you hit the pole.”

She had to laugh herself.

That’s what we liked about her.

The things that should have

made her angry didn’t.

She had a special laugh that made us laugh even more.

On a more serious note, Aunt Margaret was the saving grace for

Our family.

She was there, always willing to do what was needed.

Teaching us, listening to our dreams

and encouraging us to see them through.

She did this for 3 generations of nieces and nephews.

Here’s to you Aunt Margaret

Thank you for the cherished memories.

We love you and we definitely miss you.

Note:

Having someone who cares enough to pour into your life is a blessing. 
I am thankful for that blessing.  You will be surprised how much giving
a little bit of your time can help someone else stay focused on the things that
really matter in life.

Happy birthday Aunt Margaret

Thoughts to Ponder...In Celebration of Patriot's Day

Looking in the rear view to that fateful day, September 11, 2001.
It is a day I know I will always remember.   Beyond the tragedy,
devastation, the pain and the unthinkable loss we suffered as a nation,
I remember feeling a profound spirit of unity born out of our connection
as citizens of this great nation.  On 9/11, we were visibly connected
by our collective loss.  From the homeless man on the street to the CEO of great
corporations, there was a shared understanding, spoken and unspoken,
that comes with the realization that it could have been anyone.  It could have been
your son, your daughter, husband or wife, mother or father; who perished.
At that moment in time, there were no differences between us.
No matter who we were individually, collectively, we were simply
one nation suffering our loss together.

Through the years that have passed, we seem to be slipping further away from
that day.  If we learn nothing else, we should learn that our differences are simply that,
differences.  It is those differences that make us interestingly and excitingly new.  We have to accept one another each and every day, not just in the face of tragedy.   There has to be a permanent bond between us as countrymen.  It is that common bond that got us through the days following 9/11.

Being different should be an asset.  It should never ever become a liability.   When we start
encouraging separation, on any level, we are spitting in the face of those who risked their lives to make this country what it is today.  Today, let us remember and consider the price
we pay for freedom, peace and democracy.   In so doing, maybe we can rediscover what it really means to call America our home.

copyright 2016 Patricia Newman-Harris

 In a world where almost everything has a price,
one thing is absolutely free.   That thing, my friends, is love.
If you throw it out, it not only come back to you, it
will bless you in ways you never knew before.