Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Thank you to Doug Fredo and his sister Debbie, for taking care of Aunt Mary these past years after Uncle Joe’s passing. The last few weeks of her life in home based hospice, Doug and Debbie sat round the clock with Aunt Mary, streamed Frank Sinatra songs and prayed the rosary with her, checking off each of the items that were outlined in her end of life plan. Aunt May was meticulous in her planning and she would have been proud of Doug and Debbie’s commitment in fulfilling her plan as outlined. As my brother, sister and I waited to hear about each step in Aunt Mary’s journey toward a peaceful departure from this world we knew that no one would have done a better job of supporting her wishes than Doug and Debbie.
Aunt Mary was my special person. She was that person I sought when I needed a good listener for my devastating childhood drama. She was always fun and ready to sing along while I played my 6 string folk guitar. Aunt Mary would try her rings on my little girl fingers when we would sit together on the couch during her visits to her sister’s family, my mother, on Heritage Drive. She told me at each visit that someday these rings would be mine. I felt we held a secret between us and I felt like her special person.. She visited me twice in North Carolina suffering through long car rides in the back of my brother’s blue sonata. We played Sequence and talked and ate big meals with family and laughed and talked some more. I’m glad I have these memories.
