My aunt has had a great impact on my life. When I was a small child, we lived close to her. She worked hard even then. Her husband was an alcoholic who spent his money only on things he wanted, and to get drunk. All the money that my aunt made was used to care for their four children. That didn’t stop her from spending her time with them, or her nieces and nephews. I’m sure I’m not the only one in my family that has fond memories of spending time with her.
We moved away when I was eight years old and I didn’t see her for over twenty years. When one of my uncles became ill, we decided that we should get together. I found out that she’s still the same wonderful woman that I remembered.
Several years ago I got divorced and I decided to move closer to my aunt. My son and I spent a great deal of time with her. He got the chance to know the wonderful aunt that I had known. He came to love her as I had so long ago. He still talks about all the things she told him and about the times they shared. Now that we no longer live nearby, she misses us and wants us to visit.
In her I found the friend that I guess I needed for a long time. When something was upsetting me, she would hold and comfort me. Because of her I am happy. My aunt taught me that I had to let go of the past.
Thank you for teaching me to be happy and for being there for me. I love you!
Over the course of several years, I watched helplessly as my once close, loving family disintegrated completely. My husband’s alcoholism had progressed to the point that he could no longer hold a job or stay away from a drink for more than a few days at a time. This caused endless stress, a feeling like we were always walking on eggshells so as not to set him off on another binge. Added to that was the crippling poverty and the constant fighting. By the time my daughter was twelve years old, our home had become a war zone.
That day began like every other day. I would get ready to go to work and wake the children up before I left. It was the middle of summer, so they didn’t have to rush to get ready for school. When I went into my daughter’s room, I was shocked to find her bed empty and a note on her pillow. She’d snuck out of the house in the middle of the night. My daughter had run away from home! I was frantic! I immediately called all of her friends and found out that she wasn’t alone. My daughter’s best friend had run away with her, but her parents didn’t seem to care one way or the other. My husband and I started searching everywhere they might’ve gone. I contacted the area police stations and put up flyers, but as the days crept slowly by, my hopes of finding them diminished considerably.
After a week had gone by, I took my husband to work in the resort town nearby. It was a new job, and I had hopes that he might keep this one for a while. I had to take a right turn to head back home and as I put my turn signal on, my thoughts turned, as always, to my missing daughter. I started crying uncontrollably, believing I would never see her again. I prayed aloud, “Please, God! Help me find my daughter! She’s so young, and I’m terrified that something will happen to her!”
Within seconds, a powerful voice resounded in my head: Do not take that turn. Gostraight to the beach and you will find her. Almost afraid to believe that my prayers had been answered, I drove to the beach and all at once, there she was! Right in front of me! Thanking God over and over again for leading me to her, I jumped out of the car and pulled her into my arms, covering her face with kisses and holding her like I would never let her go.
Too relieved to be angry, I promised my daughter that we would be having a long talk when we got home. Her friend had disappeared as soon as she saw me, and I left it to her parents to deal with her as they wished. The girls had been living on the beach, sleeping during the day, and wandering the streets at night. God led me to her just in time. They had plans to leave the state the next day and I never would’ve found her. The dangers they would’ve faced did not bear thinking about. I thanked Him over and over again for saving my daughter’s life.
Of course, the problems that led to her running away were still there. I decided to arrange for some family counseling to help us resolve the issues that were tearing the family apart. My husband joined AA and stayed sober for longer and longer periods, which lessened the stress on the family considerably. We are all working together to bring back the love and closeness that had been lacking for so long in our family. With God’s help, I know we will succeed.
My fifteen-year-old brother-in-law was a cute, vivacious teenager full of charisma and fun. He loved to tweak my nose whenever he was around me, no matter where we were. Of all my brothers-in-law, he was my favorite. He had a lot of friends and was well liked by everyone that came in contact with him.
Buddy is ten years old. He’s been my faithful friend and companion since he was six weeks old. Teddy is his favorite toy. Buddy likes to be next to him all the time.
—Eileen Wood, Pennsylvania
