Goodbye

When you're a kid and you are hanging out with your cousins and your aunt and uncle are the boss of you pretty much the same as your parents you don't think about growing up and, not really growing apart but losing that day-to-day sense of family that you have felt since you were born, then eventually only seeing them at events like weddings or graduations or vacations because they have moved far away; and, you-the-kid, you certainly don't look ahead to the day when you might lose one of them and find yourself wondering if you let your Aunt know that you know you took her for granted when you were a kid but that when you grew up you realized just how amazing and kind and talented and real she really was and that you also know that part of the reason you are the person you are today is because of her influence when you were young and you are so very grateful to have had her for an aunt even though you know you were terrible at letting her know.