"God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good." ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf
My Aunt Karleen was one of these blessed, humble souls. She was just a tiny lady but full of warm kindness and genuine love for all those that crossed her way.
I was lucky enough to spend a couple of my young summers in her home. Being the only girl in my family, it was always a great adventure to join my aunt and uncle's family where I instantly gained two sisters; Melanie and Maree. Melanie, just younger than me and Maree young enough that I remember carrying her around on my hip. I remember spending summer days soaking in the Dixie sun, playing on the back balcony for hours, watching fireworks from the top of the red rocks and getting my first stitches in my elbow from a fall in the back of Uncle Val's pickup truck. I remember Aunt Karleen caring for me like one of her own seven. Eventually she brought eight beautiful babies into this world and I thought her to be an elect woman for all she embodied. I remember whole wheat pancakes with a yummy apple topping and homemade granola that beat everything else. Eating healthy and seeing that her children did as well was a speciality of hers but I remember Uncle Val sneaking us out for a chocolate shake on a few occasions too! I remember the matching dresses she sewed for Melanie and I ~ kelly green fabric with white ric rac sewn down the front. I have a picture...I must find it : ) Thinking of it now fills my heart with tender memories of a such a lovely lady. Even as I grew and became a wife a mother myself, it wasn't uncommon for the phone to ring and then hear her sweet voice on the other end just to check in and see how the family was doing. Inevitably, she would put me on speaker phone so both she and Uncle Val could chat together and mention of a chocolate shake would somehow become part of the conversation. I always hung up the phone smiling and being extremely grateful.
About two and half years ago, June of 2009 to be exact, I got an email from my Aunt Karleen. She had found something I had been seeking. Something of a treasure. Her email was a follows...
Dearest Andrea,
Please read this all before screaming. Now I know you will love me forever. I was looking for a recipe ( my recipes are as disorganized as my mothers were and maybe someday I will do something about that!)
Guess what I found?
I'm sending the attachment so you can't see it right now.
I changed my mind.
Here it is:
(a recipe followed here)
The recipe title on my card is Aunt Joan's Fudge.
Love,
Aunt Karleen
The story of the fudge is a story of it's own but to have the recipe was a miracle. It was an emotional time for me. I knew I was losing my mom and trying to hang onto anything about her, of her or by her was important to me. Aunt Karleen found the recipe I had been searching for just five months before my mom passed away. That will always mean so much to me.
Aunt Karleen and I shared an email just the day before her own passing. I'll be forever grateful that we were able to share that last expression of our love for each other, without knowing what the following day would bring. And understanding my mom was waiting with open arms to welcome her home was a joyful moment to ponder.
I love you Aunt Karleen. Now you and mom get busy going about doing good, after all, you are both so good at it : )
I was lucky enough to spend a couple of my young summers in her home. Being the only girl in my family, it was always a great adventure to join my aunt and uncle's family where I instantly gained two sisters; Melanie and Maree. Melanie, just younger than me and Maree young enough that I remember carrying her around on my hip. I remember spending summer days soaking in the Dixie sun, playing on the back balcony for hours, watching fireworks from the top of the red rocks and getting my first stitches in my elbow from a fall in the back of Uncle Val's pickup truck. I remember Aunt Karleen caring for me like one of her own seven. Eventually she brought eight beautiful babies into this world and I thought her to be an elect woman for all she embodied. I remember whole wheat pancakes with a yummy apple topping and homemade granola that beat everything else. Eating healthy and seeing that her children did as well was a speciality of hers but I remember Uncle Val sneaking us out for a chocolate shake on a few occasions too! I remember the matching dresses she sewed for Melanie and I ~ kelly green fabric with white ric rac sewn down the front. I have a picture...I must find it : ) Thinking of it now fills my heart with tender memories of a such a lovely lady. Even as I grew and became a wife a mother myself, it wasn't uncommon for the phone to ring and then hear her sweet voice on the other end just to check in and see how the family was doing. Inevitably, she would put me on speaker phone so both she and Uncle Val could chat together and mention of a chocolate shake would somehow become part of the conversation. I always hung up the phone smiling and being extremely grateful.
About two and half years ago, June of 2009 to be exact, I got an email from my Aunt Karleen. She had found something I had been seeking. Something of a treasure. Her email was a follows...
Dearest Andrea,
Please read this all before screaming. Now I know you will love me forever. I was looking for a recipe ( my recipes are as disorganized as my mothers were and maybe someday I will do something about that!)
Guess what I found?
I'm sending the attachment so you can't see it right now.
I changed my mind.
Here it is:
(a recipe followed here)
The recipe title on my card is Aunt Joan's Fudge.
Love,
Aunt Karleen
The story of the fudge is a story of it's own but to have the recipe was a miracle. It was an emotional time for me. I knew I was losing my mom and trying to hang onto anything about her, of her or by her was important to me. Aunt Karleen found the recipe I had been searching for just five months before my mom passed away. That will always mean so much to me.
Aunt Karleen and I shared an email just the day before her own passing. I'll be forever grateful that we were able to share that last expression of our love for each other, without knowing what the following day would bring. And understanding my mom was waiting with open arms to welcome her home was a joyful moment to ponder.
I love you Aunt Karleen. Now you and mom get busy going about doing good, after all, you are both so good at it : )
3 comments:
I love this! She was such a sweetheart. I am sure she and grandma are doing just that! Love ya!
Thank you so much for posting your memories of mom. It meant so much to me. I am certain our mom's are having a great time together. Mom often told me that she waited a long time to get a sister, but she couldn't have asked for a better sister than Aunt Joan.
so sweet of a post. And to think fudge was mixed in there somehow. So so sweet!
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