My whole life, I have had people ask me who I look like. I don't really look like either of my parents or my siblings. Growing up, it wasn't uncommon to be together as a family and someone would ask if I was a child one of my older siblings was babysitting.
When I was in junior high, I remember looking through some old photos of my mothers and seeing pictures of my Aunt Joan when she was young and I realized, "Yep, that is me. Yes, I may be blonder, but we have the same basic look." From then on, when people asked me who I looked like, I would say, "My Aunt Joan."
Well, here we are together during my last California visit. (Full discloser, I know this is not the most flattering picture of either of us but it was late and the only picture I got of the two of us together.) She had us over for what was supposed to be a few hours and dinner but what turned into about an eight hour affair because she is "that much fun."
This is the Aunt Joan who took me over to meet Patricia Beatty and she poured the alcoholic beverage into a potted plant. She also knew of my love of hamburgers and took me to get my first Carl's Jr. Star Burger. When I was little and crying about how there was no song that had the name "Janice" in it, (all of my older siblings have more common names and everyone else had a song with their name in it--Julie, Julie Julie do you love me, Laura is the face in the misty light, etc.), she was the one who pulled me aside and told me there was no song with "Joan" in it and she understood my disappointment and that I was not alone. She treats my kids like her own grandchildren and some of my favorite recipes, I got from her.
So, I love this Aunt and I love that I look like her.
She is 79 nine years old.
I hope I still look like and look as good as she looks when I am 79 and I hope I can be the same kind of aunt to my nieces and nephews.
I am one lucky niece.
3 comments:
I love that she took you aside and said there was no song for Joan either.
By the way, "Jane,you're playing the game girl". not to rub it in or anything.
You are lovely Janice, but you are going to continue to be lovely.. :)
it's true, you do like her! nice to meet you, Janice! grandma has told me the story about throwing the alcohol in the plant before. fun to know that that was you she was with! you should say hello to my mother-in-law sometime at the library! she would love it :) you have a beautiful family--i hope we can meet in person some day!
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