memories of a life well lived

my dearest aunt passed away last week.  great-aunt, actually.  she was my father's father's sister and has held a special place in my heart for as long as i can remember.

aunt ethel lived to be 95 years old.  a very respectable age and a life well lived.  she moved to wyoming to be with her daughters several years ago so it has been ages since i have seen her though we kept up through letters and cards.  she was a warm, happy soul who weathered her life with grace and humor.  

two vivid memories:

from my childhood, i remember her letting me play with her organ- a mystical contraption with many buttons and pedals and keys.

and from later in life, i remember her sitting next to me when my father died, holding my hand.  in her late 80s then, i sat there thinking of how much loss she had suffered.  parents, all five of her brothers, sisters-in-law, husband, and then, at least three nephews.  still she was calm, strong, loving.  and i loved her all the more for it.