I never met her, but I'm sure we'd have gotten along.

With all the attention regarding the Tsunami disaster I was reminded of an aunt I had. I don't know if I can really call her my aunt, because I never met her.

My grandmother gave birth to five children. Two lived to be adults, my mother and my uncle who is no longer living.

There is a story about one of the children. A story of purity that my grandmother tells, against taboo I might add. (Then again my grandma is more Christian than anything and they don't forbid the recalling of life as others do in the area she resides.) And let's face it-I'm not exactly superstitious either. You have to believe something has power in order to violate it. I respect the concept, but it's not something that has a place in my life. But this story isn't about me-so let's move on shall we?

My gran recalls a story of this aunt. There were natural disasters in flux. The aunt, after watching the news on tv and seeing people suffering in the wake of a mudslide, sat in front of the tv and began to pray aloud for the survivors. She prayed for safety. She prayed for relief, she prayed for comfort.

My grandmother recalls this act with such nobility.

That my aunt, as a 6, 7 or 8 year old had such compassion befuddles me. I've seen pictures of her. She looks like a miniature of my mother. The same brown eyes. The same facial structure. The same quaint curiosity.

Every time I see something on the news lately I think of this aunt.

I think this is oral tradition in motion. This aunt lives in my memory & I've never even met her.

posted by Danna Saunders @ 1/01/2005 10:51:00 PM