Aunt Nancy’s Fawn
I have a special lawn ornament among my flower bed. I call it Aunt Nancy’s fawn.
Aunt Nancy was a unique individual. At first glance people, no doubt, would wonder, “What is her story?” She was a bit of an eccentric when it came to keeping her hands clean. Actually, she was a bit of an eccentric about almost everything. But there was another side of that out spoken 4’ and who knows how many inches lady. The side only her close relatives knew. It was her devotion to family. Aunt Nancy made sure each and every one of her nieces and nephews had a copy of the entire Anderson/Metcalf family tree. From Ireland and England aboard the Mayflower, up to the present day. She painstakingly copied family photos and wrote names underneath each person’s picture. It was very important to her that these people not be forgotten. It should also be noted that Aunt Nancy never married. Aunt Nancy was 10 years younger than her older siblings. She was only a little girl when her big brothers were off fighting in WWII and Korea. When her father, my grandfather, died in the early 1960’s; Aunt Nancy was still living at home. She chose to stay with her mother. As the years went by Aunt Nancy spent her retirement being her mother’s care giver. After her mother passed, a widowed sister 12 years her senior became stricken with Alzheimer’s disease. Again, without complaint, Aunt Nancy became the care giver.
June 22, 2000 was my dad’s birthday. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few months before and we all knew that that birthday would be his last. Aunt Nancy organized a surprise birthday for her big brother at her home. She contacted relatives and family from all over. Once again her dedication to family was evident. Instead of asking people if they were coming to dad’s party Aunt Nancy said, “You ARE coming to Jim’s party, right?!” Needless to say their was a great turn out. Aunt Nancy accomplished her mission. My dad was honored and blessed.
My siblings, cousins, and I all have our own Aunt Nancy stories. We smile and laugh whenever her name comes up in conversation. But, one thing we all agree on; she stayed true to who she was. She never wavered on her principles. She was Nancy wherever she was; nothing more nothing less. And in that she left a legacy. It makes me wonder, what legacy are you and I leaving behind? How will we be remembered? It’s never too late to begin again. As long as we have breath we can change with God’s help.
“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:27)
Aunt Nancy passed away a few years ago. Having never married, and the last of her immediate family. We nieces and nephews were left to divide her meager estate. As time has gone by my most precious possession from her is nestled in the ever changing colors of my garden. And I can’t help but smile. “Don’t worry, Aunt Nancy, I’m keeping him clean.”