My Resolution

I am not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions because I have never been successful at keeping any that I have made, so far. In the spirit of optimism and new-leaf turning I am making one this year. It’s not a grand, earth changing, life altering one. It’s simple. I am resolving to be an aunt like my Aunt Teresa.


My Aunt Teresa was not related to me by blood, but by heart. She was among my parents’ closest, dearest friends and their next door neighbor for a decade, perhaps more. They remained life-long friends even after my folks moved to the West Coast and then down South. My Aunt Teresa gave me the best advice on my wedding day. “Just be nice to each other,” she said. (I share it now whenever I’m in the presence of newlyweds.) I cherish the memory. My Aunt Teresa never forgot my birthday and always sent me a card. Later on, she even remembered my children’s birthdays, even though she had only met Adam* once. For a time I was pretty good about the card thing myself, but years passed, and I slacked off. This year I have marked my calendars, and hope to follow in Aunt Teresa’s thoughtful footsteps and send my various family members & friends a card, in a timely manner, for their birthday.
That's it.
Carry on.