Yesterday my Aunt Heidi was laid to rest. Feelings of mourning, sorrow, pain, grief and sadness were felt for the loss of a beautiful mother, daughter, sister and wife gone too soon. As the priest so poetically stated in his homily at Heidi’s funeral “we all so badly wanted to Heidi to be healed, more than anyone Heidi herself wanted to be healed from her battle with cancer…but God had a different plan for our beloved Heidi.”

My memories of my Aunt are so very fond…from her beautiful bright smile, her infectious laugh and sense of humor, her true passion for her four beautiful daughters, her playful and flirty personality with my Uncle Tom, and her resounding commitment to her family and faith…my Aunt Heidi lived a life of happiness. Yesterday following Heidi’s funeral we shared in a luncheon with wine, food, and conversation with those we love. Although Heidi was not physically there, her spirit was so very present.

Fortunately for her family and friends she leaves behind her four daughters…Jamie, Holly, Lindsey, and Lacie. When looking at my each of my cousins I see my Aunt Heidi’s light shining through in their smiles, personalities, and beauty… in their own unique ways they are truly Heidi’s little angels who were taught the morals, values, and love that Heidi instilled within each of them.

Today, we start a new year, a new bright, sunny day. It is a Happy New Year, not just a year but a lifetime of happy Heidi moments and memories that we will be reminded of each day when her presence is with us.

As Jim Valvano once stated “cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.” We are are left with memories of Heidi within our own minds, hearts and souls.

I hope to one day carry the same compassionate heart that my Aunt shared with me  on to my future nieces and nephews, thank-you Aunt Heidi for my being my “Auntie Role Model”.

“An aunt is a joy to remember your whole life through. A wonderful aunt, a special friend on this we both agree, so much a part of lovely times we keep in memory. God couldn’t be everywhere so he created Aunts.”