Aunt Kass' Zero Muffins

While my kids were growing up we had the most wonderful neighbor that lived just across the street. I am sure I could not have survived without all her love, help, and encouragement. Aunt Kass was always there to babysit or to just come over and play with us. She had the most wonderful cherry tree in her back yard. The boys were so cute with their cherry stained smiles after gorging on her delicious cherries.

Aunt Kass was always there when we needed her. She watched the other kids when Ryan had to go in the hospital with a high fever. She was there to keep me from becoming hysterical when I would find 2 year old Cam on top of the refrigerator just hanging out. Or when Cam had to go to get x-rays when he jammed his nose from jumping on the bed.

We always had muffins at our house for the boys to eat. Well, we almost always had muffins at our house. One day Cam woke up from a nap and asked for a muffin, and I was all out. I looked around for anything that resembled a muffin because he just kept asking over and over. I couldn't find anything that would satisfy him. Finally, exasperated, I told him I had ZERO muffins. He got a big grin and said that he would have a ZERO muffin. Now what? I called Kass and asked her if there was anything in her kitchen that could pass for a muffin. She came up with a little bag of croutons. Good enough. So we headed across the street. Cam was so happy with his little bag of crunchy ZERO muffins. Aunt Kass had saved the day again.

She was my lifeline, my friend, my someone, and we shared each others lives as well as the street we lived on.

Her daughter, Chrissy, was like a special niece to me, and our kids were definitely a big part of Aunt Kass' life. She even credits Cam's bronchitis with helping her quit smoking. She couldn't smoke around him and couldn't bear to stay away from him, so she just quit.

For many different reasons people don't have their families in their everyday life. Some have families who are no longer living, some are estranged from loved ones and like us, some live far away from family. The wonderful thing about life is we can form families with the people who we love even when they are not blood. Kass is a part of our family, and I am thankful for her in my life and the lives of my children.

Life is meant to be shared with those we love, whether family or friend.

In Him,
Joyful
2-6-2010