I've had the good fortune to come from a long line of strong women. I've also been lucky enough to have quite a few influential strong women brought into my life. My Aunt Cathy was most definitely one of the strongest, happiest, most beautiful women I have been fortunate enough to have. She lived in such as way as to make her one of my most looked-up-to role models. I don't think there was a single moment I saw her without a smile. She has always been one of my favorite parts of holidays. Even after she became sick, her illness didn't rule her life. She never succumbed. It wasn't what drove her. She just lived, with a smile and a laugh and if she needed a nap or to make sure she rehydrated, that's what it took, but she did it with a smile. So many of the conversations we had weren't really about anything in particular, but they were always happy. I was always excited when I knew Aunt Cathy would be around for Christmas. Even as an adult, if Aunt Cathy was coming, I knew it was going to be a blast (not that the holidays with a family as crazy as ours isn't, but she made them even more rowdy). She introduced me to a lot of good music. I learned about variety and renditions. She used to play a lot of jazz-like music and without her ever really knowing got me into her types of 'grooves.' I listen to that kind of music quite a bit. Anytime I listen to jazz-ed up Christmas music I always picture Aunt Cathy with her glass of red wine and me with my kool-aid, or sprite, or water, and eventually I worked my way up to a companion wine glass, listening to some tunes relaxing after the dinner table had been laid out with napkins and all the glasses. The ever traditional singing of the carols was also always a big deal and Aunt Cathy bravely trudged through those hours of off tuned and at times harmonized carols, always good-humoredly. She never quit early and she was always giggling with my sister and I, especially when we'd laugh at the non-Christmas songs that have somehow found their way into the canon. Her happiness reached out from her eyes and wrapped itself around everyone who was there to partake of it. I won't be able to make it to her services this weekend. But I've already started the process of mourning the loss of such a wonderful influence and of commemorating her in my heart where she's managed to reside. And she'll always live there for me. I won't say I've started to say good-bye to her. Because as one of my favorite books puts it "Don't say good-bye, because good-bye means going away, and going away means forgetting" and anyone who knew and loved my Aunt Cathy knows that she's not a woman that will ever be forgotten. So I'll see you on the flipside Aunt Cath. Love You.