Farewell to Aunt Kitten

My Aunt Kitten died unexpectedly on Tuesday. She was the single most compassionate, kind, gentle, and authentic person I have ever known. She was selfless and seemed to have a bottomless capacity for acceptance of others. The constant stream of wayward souls who showed up at her doorstep are a testament to that, not one ever turned away without a full stomach and a full heart. Some of the more than 200 mourners at her funeral were just those souls.

My Aunt Kitten lived a simple life. She and her husband of 45 years worked every day of their lives. Yesterday at her funeral he remarked that she could make a home out of anywhere they lived. Not a week ago they had danced a waltz together and the song was played at the funeral. He held her hand through the whole thing, standing by the casket.

These people inspire me. Their love and devotion is an inspiration to all of us.

I will miss my Aunt Kitten deeply. I will think of her daily. I will aspire to emulate a tiny fraction of her way in the world. And I have the good great fortune of having been one of "hers," of the many"honeys" and "dears" she left in my ears. Fat or thin, rich or poor, stranger or friend, sinner or saint and all in between, I will remember her undaunted goodwill toward all. Love for her was not based on what you did or how you looked, it was given freely and in advance. She loved us the way we ought to love ourselves.

Goodbye, Aunt Kitten.

Beata