It’s hard to find the words or to sum up what you mean to me in the space that this allows. Where do I even begin? What do I focus on? For the past week I’ve found myself walking through the mental timeline, the entire history of you and all the ways you impacted me. Trying to remember everything. Trying to hold on to each experience before it’s out of reach. Before it fades. Before you return to whence you came. You poured into me selflessly and when my cup overflowed, you poured some more. You never missed an opportunity to praise me, to support me, to educate me, to love me, to instill a belief in me so strong that sometimes I thought it was a delusion. Because how could you know? How could you be so sure? How could you just look at me and see that I was the nephew and the person you said I was while giving me space to be the person I wanted to be? If it was school, it was taking out a personal loan for me so I could focus on learning and not how am I going to get in? If it was relationship issues, it was actionable advice or “do you need me to whoop they ass? Just say the word and Aunty is there.” If it was self doubt, it was words of affirmation followed by evidence to support it. For being the ear that grew in size when I talked and the hand that reached out when I fell or faltered. For always knowing exactly how to show up for me. Thank you Aunty Liz. I love you.
