Two Years and I still talk to her . . .

Today is a sad day in our family. Today marks two years since God received an amazing angel. Two years since I've heard the witty voice of my precious aunt. Two years since Lori lost the battle to cancer.

Parts of me feel like it's been ten years since I've laughed with her while other parts feel like it was just yesterday that we were sitting around talking. I could talk to Lori about anything. She was more than an aunt, she was a best friend and another mom. She always said her nieces were the daughters she never had. She was an amazing aunt and I was unbelievably grateful to have her in my life, even if it doesn't feel like it was even close to long enough.

RIP Lori

Unfortunately, I'm a numbers person. What does that mean or have to do with this? It means I know the month, day, and year that people important and close to me passed away. It's morbid, but it's me. So the "anniversary" of deaths are hard for me, as I always remember them. I take that day to let all of the tears I've let myself build up out. (That explains why the pictures is cut off - I was crying...hard to take a decent pic.)

It was hard to go to the cemetary, but I found comfort in the things that surrounded her and Grandpa's plots. There is a small dog statue looking over Lori as well as a teddy bear from the American Cancer Society. Around both plots are flowers, stars, heart bracelets, and beaded bracelets.

RIP Grandpa

My Grandpa was a tough man. Everyone respected him - there wasn't another choice. I remember thinking when he passed "He is the rock of this family. We gather together around him. We keeps us in line. What will we do without him?" Amazingly, Lori stepped up and took on that role and did an incredible job. When she passed, I had the same thoughts again. How would we stay strong as a family without her? Lo and behold, though, my mom stepped in and took on that role. She's been such a strong woman and does great with what life has handed her.

I'm so blessed to have a strong family unit to look up to. We're very unconventional, dysfunctional, and just plain weird - but I wouldn't change a thing!! I hope someday I will be able to have a relationship with my daughter like my mom and Lori had with me, because I can't picture it any other way. I love how we're all so open and honest with each other. We're friends - which means a lot.



**Today's picture of the day is "someone you talked to"...which inspired today's post. I spoke to both of these people today, and every day.