Besides my mother I had an older eccentric type of Aunt,who always used stories to enlighten or correct me. One I thought of yesterday when reading over @Cody Fousnaugh threads. I did not comment on the thread, I figured best stay out of it. I was raised mostly in the country till mama sold the property when I was 12.So not used to being around suburbia or girls my age. I went to live with my aunt for a few months one year. I was complaining to my Aunt about how I didn't like the kids in school or her neighborhood kids. So as usual she came up with one of her stories. There was a man who was always being picked on everywhere he went. So he would move to another town to get away from those rude mean people. Sure, enough the new people also picked on him. Finally, somebody [probably like my aunt] ask him if he ever considered that he could be less judging and more polite, maybe others would treat him better. Cody if your still here and I hope you are. Maybe try being nice and when others aren't then ignore them till you can reply socially.
One of the wisest people I have ever known was my oldest brother. He was wise in so many ways that it would be hard to tell them all. And he was as kind as he was wise.
I had a great-aunt I dearly loved. She was a true Victorian, born in 1883. She was proper, very, very proper, but she was also a formidable modern woman for her time. Very little formal education and married at 14, a mother at 15, she left her husband while barely out of her teens and made her own way in the world. She owned a car when most women didn't even drive. She traveled and checked into hotels by herself when it wasn't altogether "proper" for a "proper" woman to do that (heaven help the desk clerk who gave her the "side eye" about THAT). She made a career of "dressing" wealthy women and always dressed like she was royalty. She started college in her 70's and decided to move to California in her 80's. She made it very clear what she expected of people and they snapped to it, you can be assured. She always told me she expected great things from me. She was a great inspiration to me. If she could do it, with all the obstacles in her way, so could I. I'm still trying.....
Another time Aunt Emily upset me was when she wouldn't feed a straw dog and chased it off. Mama always fed and cared for straw dogs' mangy ones with burnt motor oil, [ can't do that now too many additives may hurt the dog]. I cried and told her I didn't like her. She replied with another one of her stories of course. Sometimes its cruel to be kind. If people keep feeding and helping stray dogs, they have puppies which have puppies so more stray dogs getting abused, run over by cars or slowly dying from dehydration or starvation. This story didn't change my mind much, but it did help me to try to fix every dog or cat I could so no more strays were born. And it is very sad to see all those cats, dogs in shelters looking at us with a begging face ,please take me. or running loose.
Sounds like a strong lady especially for that time period. My Aunt was born in 1905 lived to be 100. but was also hard working and owner of lots of real estate in south Geogia. She also dressed and walked proud and use a corset, first one I ever saw.
well it had to be strong to turn a 45-inch waist into a 35' waist. I'd help her pull the cords to fasten it on.
This lady right here. Doris Tompkins was so special to me as I was to her. When I accepted another position within the hospital and was located off campus she made a scrapbook full of Winnie the Pooh which she knew I loved. I'm sure heaven is in love with her too.
Good advice, and I'm sure he has read it by now. Cody has the world record for "Grand Exits" from here, but always returns.