Mitzi

The saddest news of the weekend was that my Great-Aunt Mitzi is not doing well following a stroke she had last week. Mitzi and my Uncle Bill live in Longmont. Bill is my grandma's brother. But Bill and Mitzi are as close, if not more so, to us than my real grandparents. They have attended every single major celebration in my life (including 8th grade graduation!). They were also the only relatives (other than an uncle) who ever visited me when I was living in New Mexico.

Mitzi has always been the one to ensure our family stayed together. If I told her I was travelling somewhere, she would tell me that I needed to look up so-and-so who was a 3rd cousin on my grandma's side twice removed.

When I think about me extended family, Mitzi is always the first face I think of. She is one of the sweetest and most caring people I have ever known.

Her condition is such that we don't know what to hope for: that she should get better or not. But no matter what happens, Mitzi's smiling face will always be with me.