Easter with Esther!

Hello again. Thanks for visiting. The response to this has been great. Just keep reading, and visiting and making comments.

Easter is this Sunday (KIM!!!). :)

I was on the phone with David's great aunt last night...Auntie Esther. I love her. She (and her daughter Laurie) welcomed me into his family with open arms...and for this I am grateful. Auntie Esther just turned 86 last week. She recently moved into an assisted living apartment from her condo in West Bloomfield. She hasn't been feeling very well. I pray that she gets better and better. The reason that I wanted to write about her here is: She loves me with a love that is endearing to me. I know that I have many people that love me. For that I am extremely grateful....but Esther loves me like I belong to her....like blood. She isn't always sweet, she can be kind of cranky....but what is great is that I can say "Auntie you are being kind of cranky!". And she listens. We have spoken many times about family, and our different cultural upbringing, and about our lives. I love talking with her.

I accompanied her to Florida last year....she was renting an apartment in Boca Raton and I went with her and stayed for about 10 days to get her settled. We did pretty well, but had a "difference of opinion" one day. I went in and lay right down on her bed and we talked it out. She said she couldn't believe how I just don't seem to hold a grudge. That was nice.

Several times, I would just go into her room in the evening or in the morning and lay down with her and she would stroke my hair or hold my hand or I would hold hers. There is something about touching and being touched that is so very calming, isn't there?

Esther's husband, George, died about 4 years ago now. And while I was lying there with her, I realized how it would be to not have someone in the house every day that touched you, or hugged you. Now Laurie comes over several times a week, and she has a daily aide...but not someone that is there all of the time...like a mate would be.

I go to see Esther whenever I can. This hasn't been often lately, not as often as I would like. I was "down" for several months healing with that whole foot business. And then she has had the flu and I cannot risk getting that right now. But when I go to see her...there is something that I love to do....and that is to hold her hand, or give her a hug or just sit very near to her.

Not only for her. But also for me.

May you have hands to hold, people to hug and humans to lay next to.

Loving thoughts.

P.S. The funniest thing about Easter with Esther? My husband and his family are Jewish. So there we will be....at Easter Brunch....at the retirement home...eating bagels and lox...and maybe some ham thrown in on the side...and loving each other totally.