A girl can never have too many Aunts...

Aunts. Auntie. If you live in the South.. Aunt sounds like Ant. Aunts are cool. They're like Mom, but way more fun.

Sissy and I.. lawsy.. we have a TON of Aunts.

We have Aunt Mary and Aunt Sharon. Those are Mom's sisters.  We have Aunt Marcia and Aunt Sandra -- who is now our most special beloved Guardian Aunt Sandra- those are Dad's sisters. 

We have Aunt Carol, who is one of Mom's best friends - and so by default - our Aunt. We have Aunt Molly, there was Aunt Madeline, Auntie Marie, Auntie Molly, Auntie Betty and Aunt Flo.  They are/were all Great Aunts.. Aunts of Dad and Mom.  There's Aunt Debbie, she goes to Beanie.  

So a few weeks ago, Sissy, Eileen & I went over to NC. Aunt Sharon had come down from Boston to visit Mom.  It had been five years since I'd seen Aunt Sharon, six since Shannon had seen her. Eileen had met her once- but since she'd been 11 mos old at the time.. well she didn't exactly remember her. 

Growing up, as far as Aunt Sharon and Aunt Mary.. Aunt Mary was the silly fun one who'd take us to jump on trampolines and get ice cream and listen to the Rolling Stones and play mini golf. Who doesn't love that?!  Aunt Sharon was the Fancy Aunt.  She lived in downtown Boston (still does) in a super awesome high rise.  You can see the Harbor, the new and old John Hancock buildings.  Walk to the T, to Rowe's Wharf, to South Station, to Fanuiel Hall and Quincy Market. And I kid you not - you could see every bit of The Big Dig from their living room. She always smelled so good and had the best makeup and would be chomping at the bit to take us to Filene's Basement for all SORTS of goodies.

There's Aunt Marcia and Aunt Sandra on Dad's side.  Aunt Marcia - also known as SAINT Marcia - has five boys. FIVE. They're old and crotchety now (HAHAHAHAHAHA - yeah, they're reading this and cursing me).  The woman raised five boys. She's crazy smart. She listens like no other. She gives THE LOOK like no other. She can play a game of cards and CRUSH you, she loves The Sox (and Tek!!! ) just like me, and she has so many fun stories.  Aunt Sandra... she was the other fancy one.  She also had all boys - so you can see where Sissy and I coming along as the only girls were super cool (hehehe) - and there was no jewelry collection like that of Aunt Sandra. Real and costume, she could put royalty to shame. I have some of her costume pieces now, and 6days out of 7.. I have on at least one of her pieces. 

And so now that I have a daughter, to watch her with her Aunts, it's hard to describe. There is, of course, Aunt Sissy.  It wasn't until recently that Eileen realized Aunt Sissy's name is actually NOT Sissy.  Growing up, Shannon and I moved away from our Aunts when we were very little. When we did get to see them, it was fun and fascinating and so very special.  Eileen doesn't know any different - and takes Aunt Sissy for granted. Of course one can't blame her - but someday I think she'll realize how lucky she is.  There's Aunt Jaime, who she doesn't get to see very often  - but you've never seen two souls connect like Eileen and Aunt Jaime.  They just click, and they have a blast. When they do get to see each other it is special to watch.  There's also Aunt Cindy in Eileen's world, and Aunt Heather - who Eileen didn't get to meet - but who is present in Eileen's world and as vivid as possible. 

I look back at growing up. And while we didn't get to grow up in the same city as any of our Aunts.. their influence on our lives is impossible to measure. And it was always a little crazy to see how much - physically and in personality - I resembled Aunt Marcia, and the same with Sissy and Aunt Sandra. It was crazy to see how Sissy seemed to have inherited Aunt Sharon's innate sense to find a crazy good bargain, and how I seemed to have inherited Aunt Mary's athletic ability. I look at Eileen, and there are days when I think if I hadn't been there in the delivery getting that girl out of my belly - NINE DAYS LATE - that Eileen might just have been the daughter of Sissy. She is built like her (skinny and tall), acts like her (no comment), and has a taste for purses and little things just like Sissy did/does. 

So a couple of weeks ago, when Eileen got to meet Aunt Sharon (again), I couldn't wait. I might have been more excited than Eileen. I wanted Aunt Sharon to get to see my crazy little girl. I wanted Eileen to get to meet one of the awesome Aunts in our life.  

So, on a Tuesday night after a long drive.. Nana and Aunt Sharon walked into our room. And Eileen ran to Nana and hugged her. Then she sort of hugged Aunt Sharon, turned shy, and came to sit in my lap and just observe.  Of course me, Sissy, Nana and Aunt Sharon couldn't get a word in edgewise - talking and laughing.   

Eileen poked me on the shoulder, and indicated she had a secret to tell me. 

"Mommy,"  she said... "Aunt Sharon is SO FANCY."

I looked at Eileen, and then at Aunt Sharon - in her black tank, black shorts, Burberry Scarf as a belt, tan legs and blond hair - smelling the perfume I will forever associate with her - and I grinned ear to ear.