Linda Bryant

**she would come to my dad's for Thanksgiving, she was always in charge of the sweet potatoes, and she would always burn the tops of the marshmallows.  After awhile, I think she did it on purpose b/c it was one of the things she was known for.**

I lost my aunt yesterday morning.  I got the phone call from my dad last night as I was getting home from book club.  I knew what the call was about (dad just doesn't call), she had been battling lung cancer and had actually lived longer than was expected.
When I was little, I felt very close to her.  When I would go and visit my dad on the weekends or during the summer, we would see her a lot.  One reason I loved her so much and felt so close to her was b/c she looked a lot like my mom.  I would miss my mom like crazy when I was with my dad, so having someone resemble her would help me to not miss her so much.  She was a wonderful women, she helped me during a hard time with my dad, she was always a burst of sunshine whenever I saw her, she seemed to love life and love to laugh.  She had a great laugh, one that made her whole body shake.  I never saw her "dressed down", she was always dressed to the nines.  HIGH heels, beautiful clothes, makeup with her signature cat eyes, beautiful auburn hair and tons of jewlery - she was strikingly beautiful.  You could hear her coming with all of her bangle bracelets.  The last time I saw her was at a shower that my dad gave for Alyson, but the time before that, I had not seen her in over 10 years.  When I left Houston at 13, I stayed away pretty much until Daniel and I were engaged.  On one of the visits to Houston, my dad had surprised me and had asked Aunt Linda to stop by.  She walked in through the back door, like she always had (remembering from when I was little) and I was just so happy to see her.  She was beautiful.  White linen pants, all her jewelry, high-heels and thin.  I have always thought I resemble my mom, and I still do, but when I saw Aunt Linda that day, I also saw myself in her.  She had quit smoking for about 10 years, which is just so sad to think that that is still what ended her life too soon.  My grandmommy (her mom) started smoking when she was 18 and died of natural causes in her 80s.  Just strange how things play out.
I am so grateful that I saw her that day when she came by my dad's, I have such a wonderful memory of her and I will always have it for the rest of my life.  I think she would be happy with that.
I will need to look for some pictures I have of her and post them.  One of my favorite photos is of the two of us sitting next to each other and next to me is one of my barbies and we are all imitating the barbies position with  our hands straight up in the air.
With death comes acceptance, and I am glad that she is no longer suffering.  I am glad that she is now with grandmommy and grandaddy up in heaven watching over us.  Please pray for her immediate family especially Uncle Jim (her husband), it would be hard to let go of someone like her, she was a "ray of light".  I spoke to her a couple of months ago, after I had found out her fate and my mom and I wrote her a letter around late June.  I am glad that I did both of those things, I am glad that I could tell her that I loved her and how wonderful I thought she was.  I will miss her alot, but my memories will be what I can think back on.